Palermo Mafia clan money laundered by Salemi “cousins”, prosecutors seek extradition from Germany
The Palermo Prosecutor’s Office has requested a letter of request to Germany to investigate a 12 million euro money laundering scheme carried out by mafia members in Salemi close to Matteo Messina Denaro on behalf of the Palermo clans. The investigation led to 11 precautionary measures, with the main figures of the operation Salvatore Angelo, a businessman who managed investments in renewable energies for the former fugitive of Castelvetrano, and his son Andrea, being arrested. The mafia clans used the international Swift system to transfer the money abroad, making it untraceable. The investigation uncovered two laundering operations: one involving 12 million euros and another involving nearly undisclosed sum. The main figures of the investigation mastered the financial instrument and exploited its potential to transfer money abroad while hiding its origins. The mastermind behind the plan was Giuseppe Burrafato, with the assistance of compliant entrepreneurs (some foreigners) and “ambiguous figures in the sector”, as described by the judge. In 2019, 12 million euros of mafia money were allegedly transferred from a Deutsche Bank account to an HSBC branch. The investigators intercepted the Swift report file, which contained the necessary elements to identify the details of the transaction. Also involved in the investigation is a woman described as having vast knowledge and being fluent in several languages, along with Spanish and Irish entrepreneurs. All participants in the scheme were remunerated, with the Angelos allegedly receiving a 10% commission on the transferred funds, according to the investigators.
I soldi dei clan di Palermo riciclati dai «cugini» di Salemi, i pm chiedono una rogatoria in Germania
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