A Palermo judge accused of corruption and abuse of office was suspended from duty today and her salary taken away. Judge Silvana Saguto, who headed the Palermo Tribunal's office in charge of confiscated Mafia goods and businesses, was caught on tape saying she was "like God Almighty." Jobs are scarce in Palermo. When a Mafia business is confiscated from the mob -- apartment buildings, car dealerships, hotels, restaurants, construction firms, cement factories, tobacco shops, retail stores, limousine service, you name it -- the government takes over administration of the business and does the hiring of employees. Judge Saguto would find jobs for her family, friends, and friends of friends in exchange for favors, or just being "owed," according to reports in La Repubblica. Some of the posts were worth millions and millions of euros. On top of that, she would allow the former Mafia owner/administrators of the various businesses to stay in touch with the new people she put in their slots. Which to me suggests that she was in cahoots with the mafia. In the grips of her greed for power, she involved other judges, lawyers, her husband and Palermo's Chief of Police in her schemes, -- finding jobs for people's nephews, whether they were qualified or not-- according to reports citing transcripts of phone calls intercepted by the police, who were on to her.
Loading…}