People Smugglers on the Diciotti and the Attempt to Bring Down Matteo Salvini

As a follow-up to earlier articles and videos about the Diciotti — the Italian coast guard ship carrying “rescued” migrants that was held in a Sicilian port — the article below provides a brief update on the arrest of alleged human traffickers who were on board the ship. It also talks about the legal case against Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini being brought by the Agrigento prosecutor.

Many thanks to FouseSquawk for translating this article from Il Giornale:

Four Smugglers on board the Diciotti

There are three Egyptians and a Bangladeshi arrested by the police: Among the accusations, sexual violence and criminal association

The national police are seeking four charges against three Egyptian citizens and one from Bangladeshi, assumed smugglers who embarked along with the immigrants on board the Diciotti and disembarked in Sicily.

The four are being charged with people-trafficking, aiding illegal immigration, sexual violence and procuring illegal entry.

On the other judicial front, relevant to the investigation into Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, the judicial papers will soon be transmitted from the prosecutor of Agrigento to that of Palermo, and within two weeks sent to the appropriate court of ministers (established at the Sicilian capital at the court of appeals). The court of ministry at Palermo will have three months to issue an opinion. In the event the judges decide that the prosecutor has grounds, then authorization will be requested to proceed against Salvini for abuse of power, illegal arrest, and illegal detention. Only with the go-ahead of the Palazzo Madama [seat of Italian Senate], where the [Lega Nord] leader [Salvini] sits as senator, would they proceed against the minister. The members of the Five Star Movement, through Luigi Di Maio, have made it known that Salvini can remain in the Viminale [seat of prime minster and interior] even if under investigation. In addition, many voices in the center right, beginning with Giorgia Meloni and the Brothers of Italy, and the leader of Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi, have expressed support for the minister. The former PM says, “An absurd and inconsistent judicial issue can only have a favorable outcome for Salvini.” “Once again,” continues Berlusconi, “judicial authority has intervened in an issue that is exclusively political, in which they should not interfere at all.”