Palermo: no to plea bargaining for the Cosa Nostra councilor and cashier December 19, 2023 The Palermo general prosecutor's office said no to the concordat, i.e. to the plea bargaining on appeal, for the former criminal lawyer Angela Porcello , struck off the register after her arrest for mafia association as part of the raid that began on 2 February 2021. Her lawyer Giuseppe Scozzari , in exchange for renouncing some grounds of appeal, asked to obtain a reduction of the sentence. At first instance, on 6 December last year, the Palermo magistrate, Paolo Magro , inflicted 15 years and 4 months in prison on her.
The woman has repeatedly tried to undertake the path of collaboration with the justice system but was, however, "rejected" due to the inconsistency of her statements. The maxi "Xydi" operation, moreover, shed light on the latest network of supporters of the boss Matteo Messina Denaro , arrested last January 16 after 30 years on the run and who died of a serious illness in recent weeks. The main character of the operation is the former criminal lawyer. Twenty years were inflicted, however, on the mafia entrepreneur Giancarlo Buggea , from Campobello di Licata, former partner of Angela Porcello , already convicted in recent years in the "Ghost" investigation. The professional and her partner would have managed the affairs of the clan and provided for the economic support of the gang.
The professional would have exploited her activity first of all to meet the boss Giuseppe Falsone at 41 bis and convey his messages from prison but not only: Angela Porcello would have acted as "cashier" of the district by promoting and organizing a series of meetings with associates also from other provinces. The investigation would also have revealed the members of the new Stidda who would have opposed the Cosa Nostra family. Also hypothesize a series of extortions, particularly in the agricultural brokerage sector.
