14 June 2008

“Dear Silvio”, “Dear Totò”

Here is an extract, drawn from "Mani Sporche" (Dirty Hands), a book published by Chiarelettere and written by Barbacetto, Gomez and Travaglio, entitled “Dear Silvio”, “Dear Totò” (pg.471).
"According to the Rome sources, there are at least two tapped telephone conversations between Cuffaro and premier Berlusconi. The first dates back to November 2003, just the day after the arrests of Aiello and the two warrant officers. The head of the Government appears to be very well informed about the differences of opinion in the Palermo Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the Cuffaro case: on the one hand there is Public Prosecutor Paci who instigated the investigation of Guttadauro & Co. and who believes that the governor and his main co-accused, should be charged with associating with the Mafia, while on the other hand, senior members of the Department (Grasso and Pignatone) and the public prosecutors handling the Aiello investigations are wanting to archive the main charges against Cuffaro, leaving only those relating to favouring the Mafia and revealing confidential information. The clash between the two opposing views in the Antimafia Unit became public in early 2004, however, as far back as 12 November 2003, Berlusconi had phoned Totò to inform him that he had heard all about the differences of opinion regarding his case within the public prosecutor’s office:
Berlusconi: Don’t worry, remember that my family and I have been through hell with these guys…why, just take a look at how I am being depicted in the cartoon on the front page of the Unità.
Cuffaro: With everything that the Unità newspaper has written about you and me, there is enough material to create an encyclopaedia.
Berlusconi: Nevertheless, don’t be concerned because I have received some good news, as will you… from inside the office that is handling these matters, so it is very good news, namely that ……..is positively disposed …..
Cuffaro: I just hope that they realise that I, well, that I am not involved.
Berlusconi: Yes precisely. We will stand behind you as one man, without any chance of …
Cuffaro: I assure you that your call is very important to me because of the affection you have shown for me …
Berlusconi: If necessary, I will jump on a plane and come down to Palermo and I will do anything … But anyway, nothing will come of this.
Two months later, Silvio and Totò speak to each other once again. It was at 19h51 on the 10th January 2004. On this occasion as well, it would appear that the speakers know far more than what they should. The premier reassures the governor as regards the outcome of the inquiry and informs him that Interior Minister Beppe Pisanu has told him personally that everything is “under control”. The Regional Premier knows that certain judges are throwing tantrums regarding him, but confides that everything will turn out okay in the end.
Berlusconi: Yes Mr. president, it’s me: How are you keeping?
Cuffaro: Very well.
Berlusconi: How are things going?
Cuffaro: Very well, very well. Actually, I think things are going very well except for what the newspapers are saying.
Berlusconi: Over here I have heard that …the reason why I’m phoning you … the Minister of the Interior …
Cuffaro: Yes?
Berlusconi: … spoke to me and told me that the whole….. is under control … under control.
Cuffaro: That’s good.
Berlusconi: Yes it is.
Cuffaro: In any case, I’m not concerned, given that my conscience is clear. It’s only that …we must just wait.
Berlusconi: I know, but it’s not enough, it’s not enough.
Cuffaro: There are certain newspapers that are being rather disgusting and certain judges that are throwing some tantrums.
Berlusconi: I have just finished reading the Unità, in which they quote a psychiatrist as saying that I am the devil.
Cuffaro: Eh eh.
Berlusconi: They need to prove that I am the devil, you understand!
Cuffaro: Can you believe it! You know what you mean to all of us. So you also know that we admire you. Every morning in my daily prayers……Because, every morning at eight o’clock at Palazzo D’Orleans, I hold a mass …
Berlusconi: Ah, very good.
Cuffaro: And I swear to you, although I have never told you this, my first thoughts are about the work that you are doing, just to remind you of just how much affection I have for you.
Berlusconi: Thank you.
Cuffaro: You will always be able to count on me. I am always working, working to ensure that there is peace and tranquillity within the Udc party, so please don’t worry …
Berlusconi: That’s great, thanks o lot. You know that the feeling is completely mutual.
Cuffaro: I know, I know …
So Cuffaro, although under investigation on charges of collusion, breach of confidentiality, favouring the Mafia and corruption at the time, nevertheless says in January 2004 that he is at peace and appears to fully in the picture about the two opposing opinions of the magistrates: someone is still throwing tantrums, but we must just wait and see. In order to understand precisely what Cuffaro is waiting for, all we need to do is to await any further developments regarding the inquiry, which were to prove him right just a few months thereafter. In fact, public prosecutor Paci, who was pushing to commit Cuffaro to trial on all the charges, including association with the Mafia, was to find himself in the minority. At the end of it all, the governor landed up being charged only with the lesser offence of favouring the Mafia. The two controversial tapes that the Carabinieri handed over to the public prosecutor’s office were never included with the documentation upon the conclusion of the Cuffaro inquiry. They remained locked up in the principal dossier, namely dossier No. 2358/99 relating to the charges of Mafia association, which were archived. Neither Berlusconi nor Pisanu were ever questioned regarding the content of those telephone calls, nor were any in-depth investigations ever undertaken in order to gain further clarity on the matter. Yet Berlusconi’s comment to the Minister of the Interior could help to shed some light on the “Roman and Institutional source”, as claimed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, that would appear to have informed Cuffaro about the telephone tapping of Guttadauro’s calls in 2001 and Aiello’s calls in 2003. If it is true that Berlusconi, the Viminale and Cuffaro were privy to information that is covered by the highest level of investigative confidentiality, this would constitute the commission of the crime of breach of confidentiality, inter alia by the person that divulged the information in the first place. Even more so if you consider that one of the people in question, namely Berlusconi, had himself been under investigation in Palermo for alleged association and money laundering: his case was later archived in terms of the statute of limitations, but the case could be re-opened at any time should any new information come to light. However, the public prosecutors dealing with the Berlusconi folder would only become aware of the existence of those infamous telephone calls from newspaper reports towards the end of 2005 when Grasso, shortly before moving to Rome to take up his new post as National Antimafia Prosecutor, asks the preliminary investigations judges to destroy those tapes."

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Dirty Hands