A very relaxing summer has just come to an end and many “forgetful” people were finally able to find their memory, a memory that went lost 17 years ago during the massacre of via D’Amelio in which judge Paolo Borsellino lost his life.
“Forgetful” #1
The first “forgetful” person to have temporarly found his memory is former magistrate, former politician and then once again magistrate Giuseppe Ayala. In Affaritaliani.it on July 23rd 2009, as revelations concerning the massacres poured out, Ayala declared that Nicola Mancino who, in 1992 was Minister of Internal Affairs, personally admitted that he had met Borsellino at the Ministry on July 1st 1992. To prove this Mancino showed Ayala his personal agenda, an agenda used to keep track of his appointments. One of the appointments noted in the agenda was with judge Paolo Borsellino. Immediately after Ayala’s statements Mancino denies everything and once again states his position: “ I don’t remember ever meeting Borsellino” and “ I can’t exclude that Borsellino was among the many people who came to pay me honour the day I began to work at the Ministry. If this is the case there would have been nothing more than a handshake between us.” That day, Gaspare Mutolo (justice collaborator) was being interrogated by Borsellino. Mutolo tells of a phone call received by the judge during his interrogation : “I have to leave, the Minister called me.” When the judge returns from the “alleged” meeting, Mutolo describes Borsellino as being very upset, to the point that he lights two cigarettes at the same time. Parisi had organized a meeting between Borsellino and Contrada. There is, however, another testimony that confirms a possible meeting between Borsellino and Mancino. Prosecutor Vittorio Aliquo stated that he personally accompanied Paolo Borsellino to the Minister’s office and that he, (Aliquo) waited outside. The last relevant detail of this story was written by Paolo Borsellino in person and is contained in his personal grey diary, a diary in which the judge noted all the important events of the day. On July 1st 1992 at 6.30 pm Borsellino writes: “Parisi”, while at 7.30pm he writes: “Mancino”
Ayala, suddenly sees the light, denies his own statements and confirms Mancino’s version apologizing to all.
“Forgetful”#2
On July 24th Luciano Violante also remebers. His “amnesia” finally ends after newpapers write about Massimo Ciancimino’s testimony as to the fact that his father, Vito Ciancimino, had allegedly requested “political coverage”. After 17 years Violante spontaneously decides to give his version of the facts to investigators in Palermo.The man appears to be in a hurry to do so. Violante says that he was informed by Colonel Mario Mori that Vito Ciancimino was interested in meeting with him “in a private face to face informal encounter” (Corriere della Sera, 24 luglio2009). According to Massimo Ciancimino “ the president of the antimafia commission Luciano Violante was to be informed of the negotiation. Another mysterious interlocutor stated that Minister Mancino was already aware of negotiation” (La Repubblica, 24luglio2009). Violante’s statement with regards to the fact that he refused to meet with the ex mayor of Palermo was verbalized and, Vito Ciancimino himself reported that Violante had not been informed of the negotiation between mafia and State.
“Forgetful”#3
Yesterday evening (october 8th 2009) Claudio Martelli’s memory also awoke. Mr. Martelli recalls a small detail that really, was of no interest to anyone, if we exclude the Prosecution offices of Caltanissetta and Palermo, the Borsellino family, all the honest italians who want to see justice prevail, the free press (at least the few remaining examples of such), ect… In the televison program called Annozero, in an interview with journalist Dina Lauricella, Claudio Martelli, Minister of Justice before Mancino, stated: “I was formally informed by the head of Criminal Affairs of the Ministry, Mrs. Liliana Ferraro, Giovanni Falcone’s main assistant, that Captain De Donno had paid her a visit to inform her that Ciancimino was ready to collaborate on the condition that, in return, he would be granted “political guarantees” and that Liliana Ferraro told De Donno to inform Paolo Borsellino of this matter”. Over the phone, journalist Sandro Rutolo then asks Martelli if Liliana Ferraro, being an aquaintance of both Falcone and Borsellino, had called Borsellino . Martelli answers: “Yes!”. Rutolo asks Martelli to date the day of the encounter and Martelli replyes: “between June 22nd and 23rd”.
“Liliana Ferraro informs Paolo Borsellino of the negotiation!”
For seventeen years the cause of Borsellino’s death and the acceleration of the process that led to his murder was based on the assumption that the magistrate had come to know of the existence of the negotiation between mafia and State. The questions concerning Borsellino’s murder revolve around this uncertainty. Martelli now remembers to inform us that he has known the answer to this question for 17 years, he now remembers to tell us that Borsellino was informed as to Ciancimino’s desire to collaborate with the law and in return demanded “political guarantees”. We are now left wondering why this information was kept secret for seventeen years and why is it being revealed only now? Seventeen years is a very long time to search for truth and justice.
The last interesting point needy of attention concerns yet another revelation. During the televison program called Annozero Antonio Di Pietro stated that in the summer of 1992 the ROS (special department of italian police force) sent an informative (July 16th 1992) to the Prosecution offices of Palermo and Milano. The informative stated that Borsellino and Di Pietro’s lives were in danger. They were considered to be possible victims of mafia attacks, attacks which were being planned during that time period. SOMEONE inside the institutions provided Antonio Di Pietro (leader of the political party Italia dei Valori) with a passport to allow him to flee to Costa Rica where he would be safe from any possible attempt at his life. The same informative, which somehow guaranteed protection for Di Pietro revealed the arrival in Palermo of a load of explosive to be used to eliminate Paolo Borsellino. How could it be that the person or the people who knew about such threats protected Antonio Di Pietro and completely ignored Borsellino’s personal safety? Why weren’t the same safety measures adopted for both magistrates? For now, these questions remain to be answered. Maybe, in the near future others will stumble over their memory and, our quest for truth and justice will come to an end.