A Diplomatic Escape is rocking Italy’s Institutions.

By: Ahmed ELNAHAS – Montopoli, April 12^th 2014.

“Beirut Interpol Section operatives, in a joint operation with Lebanese Secret Service agents, apprehended an Italian fugitive at his suite of the Intercontinental Phoenicia. The captured individual, a known frequentation of Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi, escaped Rome to Beirut right before the Appeal court of Palermo would confirm the 7 years incarceration sentence being found guilty as charged for MAFIA Criminal Association”.

That is how the very few Arab news agencies announced the fact. The story is quit different than a simple every day arrest. Let me tell you the real thing.

The man, Marcello Dell’UTRI, is indeed a very close friend to Silvio Berlusconi. He engineered the foundation of what became known as Berlusconi’s personal political party: Forza Italia, back in 1994 for three major reasons:

1)      Create an escape route for Silvio out from Juridical troubles by entering the political arena and enjoy immunity,

2)      Allow various Mafia clans (Cosa Nostra, Ndrangheta, and Camorra) exchange “favours” to provide secure voting consensus against guaranteeing Berlusconi’s support through his political connections, and

3)      Organise Berlusconi’s international Business Empire financial muscles in a way to conceal the largest money-laundering machine Europe have ever known.

The grey shadows veiling his escape, include few high ranking institutional apparatus and several business (criminal) connections. Since the preliminary inquisitor’s official request to prevent the by then accused Dell’Utri from travelling, and that the relevant authorities would cancel his travelling documents (private and diplomatic passports), was totally ignored.

The best part in the story, or should I say the funniest, is yet to come. It is about why and how the Interpol order was issued.

For several months, the Italian police has been secretly investigating the owner of a trendy fish restaurant in Rome, suspected of laundering money. Having the adequate authorizations, secret agents placed several audio-visual devices all over the place. As the restaurant serves the Capital’s Jet Set clientele: politicians, movie stars, musicians, businessmen, industrials, bankers, major sports figures…etc.

Recently, the twin brother of the accused asked for an “au privé” dinner in the VIP private lounge of that restaurant. He came accompanied by another individual, later identified as Vincenzo Mancuso, and during the meal they were talking about the last details to plan the evasion of his brother (the convicted).

The police officers in charge of monitoring the interceptions were astonished to find on hand the plot, and they reported them to their superiors, whom in their turn forwarded them to the Public Prosecutor’s office. The latter ordered a new investigation to be carried out, and didn’t overlook to officially inform the competent authorities of the eminent escape of Marcello Dell’Utri. However it was a bit too late; Dell’Utri has already been fleeing away from a certain confirmation of the sentence, using his Diplomatic Passport. A document issued while he was still a Senator! No one ever drew back that passport after the first grade sentence, as the law perceives.

The interceptions brought to the light some very important issues, which I will try to summarise as follows:

Ø  Silvio Berlusconi financed the escape after approving the plan.

Ø  Marcello Dell’Utri, his twin brother, Vincenzo Mancuso and Gennaro Mokbel (all convicted in similar financial crimes related to local criminal organisations) planned to set a refuge shelter in Guinea Bissao.

Ø  The small African state’s official were favourable to host the clan, provided that they would “grease their way in” as Mokbel himself say in one of the tapes; explaining that they would “use Silvio’s offshore charity associations front to build some sandy football fields for the youth and some clinics for children, of course authorities will have their cut and we shall be granted diplomatic passports to split our week-ends between  Beirut and Guinea”.

Dell’Utri earlier said that Guinea is important because “…we shall have exclusive concessions for mining Gold, Diamond and Uranium.. Guys the possibilities there are infinite”.

Earlier today, Silvio Berlusconi said to the press: “I agreed to sent Marcello in Lebanon because Putin asked me to support Mr. Gemayyel candidacy for the coming Lebanese presidential elections”!!

This is the nucleus of the story: unscrupulous Political and Business interests strongly weaved together to make few rich adventurers richer, rendering many poor Africans much poorer. So, how many such plots invaded our countries over the years draining out our resources, and leaving behind nothing but divisions, poverty, ignorance and corruption???

Pass On The Word.