Former mayor of Tremestieri Rando leaves prison and is put on house arrest

Last Updated: October 10, 2024

The former mayor of Tremestieri Etneo, Santi Rando, is released from prison, where he has been since April 17th, and placed under house arrest. The decision was made by the Court of Appeal of Catania, following a successful appeal against the rejection of a release request by the investigating judge. The request was made after Rando underwent a long interrogation with his lawyer, Tommaso Tamburino. Rando is being investigated as part of Operation Pandora, which stemmed from investigations by the Carabinieri into alleged infiltration of organized crime and corruption at the Municipality of Tremestieri Etneo. According to the Catania Prosecutor’s Office, the former mayor allegedly accepted promises from two affiliates of Cosa Nostra, Vito Romeo and Francesco Santapaola, during the 2015 elections, to provide him with votes in exchange for assigning public contracts to entrepreneurs close to or influenced by the mafia organization. In addition to the charge of mafia-related political bribery, the Catania Prosecutor’s Office also accuses Rando of crimes against public administration, such as corruption and manipulation of bidding processes.