First arrest of Sicilian politician following elections
INSIDER NEWSDESK
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8 November 2017
Cateno De Luca. Photo from messinaoggi.it
MESSINA - The first arrest has been made in Sicily of the local politicians the M5S branded “unpresentable, ” as the new regional deputy of Messina, Cateno De Luca, was put under house arrest by financial police on suspicion of promoting significant tax evasion of around 1.75 million euros.
Investigators have stated that the new deputy, along with the president of the entrepreneurial group Fenapi, Carmelo Satta, has been using a fictitious set of invoices for some time to avoid paying direct and indirect taxes. "The evasive scheme has emerged implying non-existing costs by the National Federation for the benefit of the Fenapi, identified as the main center of the economic interests of the criminal association."
De Luca was elected to his position as the centrist UDC party candidate with 5418 votes in the Sicilian election. The actions of the deputy, a supporter of the recently elected president of Sicily Nello Musumeci, have been questioned before. In protest against a decision made by the Sicilian Regional Assembly (ARS), De Luca removed his clothing. He has also been in trouble with the law before. De Luca was arrested in June 2011 on charges of attempted bribery and abuse of office, and the trial is still ongoing.
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Cateno De Luca pictured protesting a decision of the Ars assembly on budgets. Photo from siciliainformazioni.com