13 January, 2012

The system's rubbish

Nicola Cosentino is a deputy with Berlusconi's PdL party. He is regional organiser for the Campania region, which includes Naples.

Cosentino is accused of having an association with the organised crime syndicate the Camorra to which, it is said, some of his relatives belong, and to having received bribes concerning the Naples rubbish scandal. This, you will recall, involved the city's entire refuse system being appropriated by organised crime, and space sold on the allocated rubbish tips so that there was no room for the rubbish of the people of Naples and they threw it out on to the streets. Some say the water supply has been poisoned by tipping of illegal materials.

The authorities wanted Cosentino remanded in custody - held in prison - and approached the Parliament for permission to do so. Parliament has now refused so Mr Cosentino is still at large and still a deputy. Mr. Monti, the unelected Prime Minister, says he doesn't want to get involved.

There is something deeply wrong with all this. If he hadn't been one of the political class - la casta - he'd have been locked up awaiting trial.

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