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Scandal on eve of Pope's visit

NZPA Palermo A big scandal over the award of contracts to Mafiaconnected businessmen has erupted in Sicily only days before the arrival of Pope John Paul 11, who is expected to strongly condemn the criminal organisation. The latest scandal concerns a contract for 26,000 million lire (SNZ2S million) for building a new conference hall in Palermo, the Sicilian capital. Angelo Russo, the regional planning director, has been arrested and charged with corruption, and - five local civil servants on the regional committee awarding contracts, have been charged with obstructing justice. They include the regional Secretary-General, Mr Giuseppe Orlandi, the Director of Urban Planning for Palermo, Mr Salvatore Biondo, the head of an academy of the Palermo Faculty of Architecture, Ciro Cicconcelli. "X : The sixth committee member? who has not been charged, voted against their choice. Italian fiscal authorities uncovered the fact that the contract committee had ignored lower tenders in favour of their own candidate, Carmelo Costanzo, a businessman from Catania, southern Italy. An arrest warrant has been issued for a local builder.

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19821120.2.38.10

Bibliographic details

Press, 20 November 1982, Page 9

Word Count
178

Scandal on eve of Pope's visit Press, 20 November 1982, Page 9

Scandal on eve of Pope's visit Press, 20 November 1982, Page 9