Europe’s politicians may claim that borders mean little in their common fight against transnational organized crime, but those comments are wishful thinking, according to an article from Germany’s Der Spiegel on the investigation into the infamous 2007 Italian-mob-related murders in front of a Duisberg pizza parlor. The magazine reports:
The presumed killers, who are accused of massacring six Italians with at least 70 bullets in front of a restaurant in August 2007, have been captured. But important pieces of evidence are still missing today, something that can be blamed primarily on problems in the multinational investigation of the Duisburg bloodbath, which was the climax of a feud between rival clans. In the dismal assessment of one investigator, the case represents a "low point in combating organized crime in Europe."
Dutch police arrested suspected mastermind Giovanni Strangio in Amsterdam in mid-March, and later brought in Strangio’s brother-in-law and suspected accomplice Francesco Romeo. But Spiegel reports that the Italians have not followed up on Germany’s requests for DNA samples, and they haven’t responded to German requests for legal assistance.
…for instance, the Germans are still waiting for DNA data on Giuseppe Nirta, the presumed second shooter, which they requested from their Italian counterparts back in September 2007. Without the DNA evidence, German authorities have been unable to issue a warrant for Nirta's arrest.
When Nirta was arrested in Holland last November, German authorities asked the Dutch for a saliva sample. The Dutch ignored the request and extradited Nirta to Italy, where he had already been tried in absentia for drug trafficking and sentenced to 15 years.
Dutch police also would not allow German or Italian investigators to be on the scene when they searched Strangio’s apartment after the arrest, reported Spiegel.
On April 2, the disenchanted Duisburg public prosecutor's office sent a new request for legal assistance, asking for a saliva sample, to their Dutch counterparts. It is still waiting for a response. Then, in a fax sent to Dutch officials last week, the German prosecutors withdrew their request for the extradition of Strangio.
Italy, meanwhile, requested Strangio’s extradition last week. Radio Netherlands reported that
Germany wanted to bring Strangio to trial, but after consultation with the Dutch and Italian justice ministries, has decided to institute legal proceedings against him in Italy.
Greece: NoTrial for MP
Greek lawmakers voted Monday not to put a ruling party MP on trial at a special court over bribery allegations that had threatened to bring down the government.
Following a three-week-long probe that has dominated the Greek media, 146 deputies voted in favor of the indictment and 144 voted against it.
However, the yes vote fell short of the outright majority needed from the 300- member parliament for indictment. According to the final tally, 298 legislators were present for the vote, which also included three abstentions and five blank ballots cast.
The case involved allegations that New Democracy parliamentarian and former cabinet minister Aristotelis Pavlidis directly or indirectly solicited bribes from a businessman in exchange for a lucrative shipping contract.
Pavlidis has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to give up his seat in parliament.
Though the scandal has dominated the news for nearly a month, a recent poll suggests that Greeks couldn’t care less about the broader issue. Corruption ranked fifth on the poll’s list of voter concerns, after the global economic crisis, education, crime and health.
Two Countries Bust Suspected “Vory”Members
Czech organized crime police announced last week that they had busted a “Russian-language criminal organization” responsible for a 2007 execution-style murder in Prague, attempted murder, robberies and extortion. The Prague Post reports:
Under a mission code-named "Wolfram," ĂšOOZ (organized crime) officers arrested four suspects from Armenia March 23, among them the alleged ringleader, whom they described as a 41-year-old "Vora v zakĂłnÄ›."
Vory v zakĂłnÄ›, the Russian term for "thieves in law," refers to a notorious criminal order that emerged from Soviet gulags. Popularized by books, films and television series, Vory have become near legend, earning comparisons to the Italian mafia, with a reputation for symbolic tattoos and ruthless violence. However, what is true and what is myth about the Vory is subject to debate.
ĂšOOZ said the alleged ringleader, who had been in the Czech Republic since 2004, had ordered the botched Vinohrady hit, intending to target someone else. The same suspect is also believed to be behind a November 2007 murder attempt on a foreigner on Wenceslas Square. Lower ranking members of the group were tasked to plot and execute the attacks.
Police would not release the names of those arrested, but noted that three of the individuals could face 12 to 15 years in prison on murder-related charges, while one could face an unspecified "special sentence."
The same week, Austrian police arrested three people suspected of being part of the same criminal network. An Austrian police spokesman told the paper that the Vory had started their central European business in the Czech Republic in 2004 and then branched to Austria in 2008.
Croatia: Cops Search Mministry
Croatian anti-corruption police arrested a department official of the Ministry for Sea, Transport and Communications Wednesday, on suspicion that the official had taken money to illegally issue boat permits.
Croatian television reported that the official has been a ministry employee for 15 years. Police also searched several offices in the ministry.
Hungarians Expect OC Increase
Police expect the tensions and rivalries among the growing numbers of Hungarian organized crime groups to rise, the Budapest Times reported last week. National Security Office director Sandor Laborc also said the tensions could lead to a rise in violent crime.
The director warned of signs which point towards these groups using violence to increase their territories and not being afraid to get into confrontations with each other. A study by the office showed that as the borders came down (Hungary joined the Schengen zone in 2006) organised crime also started to become more international.
A further risk is that these criminals are capable of paying top dollar for legal and financial expertise and also use their funds to tie influential people to them, who act as bridges to lawfulness for the crime bosses.
Smuggling – of cigarettes, drugs and humans – is a key source of revenue for Hungarian groups, Laborc said, but added that the authorities need to keep vigilant to keep the groups away from European Union funds and projects.
Camorra News in Italy, Spain
Police arrested suspected top Camorra boss Michele Bidognetti last week and seized $6.5 million worth of assets, including houses, apartments and farmland, reported AFP.
Bidognetti was found in possession of messages from his brother Francesco, a jailed former head of the Casalesi, the most violent of the Camorra clans, whose access to other detainees and people outside the prison is supposedly tightly controlled.
Bidognetti’s own mother is thought to have been behind his arrest, as she became a state’s witness after police caught her acting as a go-between for her jailed husband, reported Sky News.
Meanwhile, Spain’s organized crime police reported that they arrested more than 300 people thought to be associated with crime groups in the Malaga region alone last year. The construction boom in Malaga, home to the holiday resorts of Spain’s Costa del Sol, is thought to have attracted various Camorra-owned construction companies and become a home away from home for the Naples-based crime group. Spanish organized crime police said that 173 of the 300 people arrested last year were foreigners.