The Palermo Court of Appeal sentenced to 6 years the former Senator of Fi and Undersecretary of the Interior Antonio D'Ali 'accused of complicity with the mafia association in the appeal process held after the Court of Cassation had annulled with postponement the sentence of the Court of Appeal of Palermo which, in September 2016, sent the former politician acquitted for the disputes subsequent to 1994 and declared the crimes alleged to him in the period prior to that date prescribed.
D'Alì was accused of having "contributed to the support and strengthening of Cosa Nostra, making his economic resources available to the bosses, and subsequently his institutional role as senator of the Republic and undersecretary of state". For the prosecutors, who had asked for a sentence of 7 years and 4 months, the former Senator from Trapani allegedly had relations with the gangs and with leading exponents of the organization such as the superlatitant Matteo Messina Denaro, Vincenzo Virga and Francesco Pace, since early 1990s, and would seek electoral support from "families". The politician would then have played a fundamental role in the management of contracts for important public works, from the port of Castellammare del Golfo to interventions for the America's Cup.
Of the alleged connections of D'Alì with the gangs various repentants have spoken including Antonino Giuffrè, Antonio Sinacori, Francesco Campanella and most recently Don Ninni Treppiedi and Antonino Birrittella. The appeals court also sentenced the former senator to compensate the anti-mafia associations constituted civil parties and declared him banned from public office for three years.
