Ex-Gesap executives acquitted at Palermo’s Falcone Borsellino airport

Last Updated: March 20, 2024

Aeroporti, Schifani spinge per privatizzare Palermo e Catania

The former executives of Gesap, the company that manages the Falcone-Borsellino airport, have been acquitted. They were indicted for allegedly awarding contracts to the same companies without following the legal procedures. Exonerated are former Gesap general manager Carmelo Scelta, former maintenance area manager Giuseppe Liistro, Roman entrepreneur Stefano Flammini, de facto administrator of Compagnia del Progetto and Cdp Design, university professor Giuseppe Giambanco, Sergio Gaudiano, former president of a design company in 2018, administrator of Tecnogeco Renato Chiavaroli, Filippo Capuano (de facto administrator of Cometa srl), Carlo Vernetti, and Alessandro Mauro, CEO and manager of Quick No Problem Parking. Former Gesap CEO Dario Colombo had already been acquitted of all charges.

The verdict was issued by the third section of the Palermo court, which acquitted seven defendants on the grounds that “the facts do not exist” apart from a statute of limitations on one charge. The seizure of assets was also lifted. The basis of the investigation, which originated from a 2017 police raid called “The Terminal,” has now been undermined.

The panel chaired by Fabrizio La Cascia also acquitted university engineering professor Giuseppe Giambanco, Roman entrepreneur Stefano Flammini, who led the company that received the most external assignments from Gesap, Renato Chiavaroli, Sergio Gaudiano, and Filippo Antonino Capuano. Prescription was declared for the same Scelta and Alessandro Mauro and Carlo Vernetti on one charge. The prosecution’s accusation of creating multiple external consultancies to inflate costs without completing the work was disproved.

The damage to Gesap was estimated at around eleven million euros. Giambanco was also the owner of a company that received several consultancies and had been seized for over 300 thousand euros by the Court of Auditors. This penalty was reduced on appeal as there was no violation of teaching obligations; the accounting conviction was for not seeking authorization from the rector before conducting consultations for Gesap. In general, the criminal trial dismantled the prosecution’s claims, finding no irregularities or favoritism towards “friendly” companies, as work at the Palermo airport is still ongoing.