LECCE – “In my business I have never, and would never have, involved my wife (Roberta Legna, among the suspects at large, ed.) nor even my parents”: these are the clarifications that Antonio Marco Penza, among the main people arrested in the blitz carried out two days ago by the police and financial police were released today before the Lecce court judge Marcello Rizzo.
During the guarantee interrogation, the 41-year-old from Lecce did not add anything else, especially since for those crimes attributed to him by the investigation, he declared that he had already been convicted as part of the “Final Blow” operation, as he would have noted in the precautionary custody order by the same judge who applied the measure to him for the association dedicated to drug trafficking, but not for 416 bis.
Assisted by the defense lawyer Pantaleo Cannoletta, the arrested man made use of the right not to answer, and this was also the choice of the other 27 people who ended up in prison: the 43-year-old accountant from Lecce Antonio Baldari (whom we reported in a previous article); Fabio Pisanu, 52 year old resident in Lecce (he also made spontaneous statements to deny the charges); Giulio Biscozzi, 27 years old from Copertino and Cristian Roi, 42 years old originally from Copertino and resident in Nardò (defended by the lawyer Alessandro Stomeo); Raffaele Capoccia, 36 year old from Lecce, Salvatore Perrone, 58 year old from Trepuzzi, with the lawyer Salvatore Rollo); Massimo Cazzella, 51 years old from Lecce, (assisted by the lawyer Paolo Cantelmo). And again: Pasquale Conte, 35 year old resident of Aradeo (defended by the lawyer Roberto Tarantini); Santo Gagliardi, a 59-year-old from Lecce detained in Borgo San Nicola, and Alessandro Greco, a 41-year-old resident in Cavallino (defended by the lawyer Gabriella Mastrolia); Ervis Gjuzi (or Gjezi), 38 year old Albanian resident in Grottaglie (defended by the lawyer Vincenzo Rago of the Matera Bar); Rocco Gligora, 53 years old from Melito Porto San Salvo (Rc) detained in Reggio Calabria defended by the lawyer Cosimo Albanese (of the Locri bar); Giorgio Hameti, 30 years old from Scorrano, and Maurizio Toma, 49 years old from Scorrano (defended by the lawyer Mario Blandolino); Pietro Leone, 51 year old resident of Martina Franca (defended by the lawyer Martino Danilo Cito of the Brindisi Bar).
Also left tight-lipped: Cosimo Miggiano, 43 year old resident of Muro Leccese, Cristian Stella, 29 year old from Lecce, Gianluca Calabrese, 37 year old from Copertino, Emanuele Gammariello, 31 year old resident of Lecce (defended by the lawyer Ladislao Massari); Diego Negro, 43 years old from Scorrano, (with the lawyer Giovanni Montagna); Alex Nigro, 46 year old resident of Erchie (Brindisi) (represented by the lawyer Giuseppe Sorio); Ruben Patruno, 27 years old from Copertino (defended by the lawyer Rosalba Pindinello); Giuseppe Rolli, 61 years old from Copertino (with the lawyer Cinzia Vaglio); Selim Tila, 38 year old Albanian, resident in Grottaglie, (defended by the lawyer Maria Francesca Tropea of the Brescia Bar); Marcello Tulipano, 59 years old from Copertino (defended by the lawyer Cosimo D’Agostino); Francesco Urso, 37 year old resident of Andrano, (defended by the lawyer Luigi Corvaglia).
Ivan Dell’Anna, a 48-year-old resident of Copertino (assisted by the lawyer Anna Inguscio), also made use of the right not to respond, but made spontaneous statements to explain that he is an honest mechanic with no criminal record and that he has never had anything to dealing with criminal environments. He also announced that he wanted to ask an interrogation of the DDA deputy prosecutor Giovanna Cannarile, who was present during his confrontation with the investigating judge, to clarify his position.
The interrogations will continue on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
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**How might the potential compartmentalization of this drug trafficking ring, suggested by Penza’s denial of his family’s involvement, complicate the investigation and prosecution efforts?**
## World Today News: Interview regarding the Lecce Drug Trafficking Arrest
**Introduction**
Welcome to World Today News. Today, we are discussing the recent large-scale drug trafficking arrest in Lecce, Italy. We are joined by [Guest 1 Name & Expertise] and [Guest 2 Name & Expertise] to shed light on the complexities of this case.
**Section 1: The Accusations and Initial Statements (Focus on Penza’s denial and the general silence from the defendants.)**
* **To [Guest 1]:** Mr./Ms. [Guest 1], Antonio Penza, one of the main figures in this case, has denied any involvement by his wife and parents in his alleged criminal activities. What does this statement reveal about the possible structure of this drug trafficking ring? Does it suggest a compartmentalized organization?
* **To [Guest 2]:** Many of those arrested have chosen to remain silent during questioning. How common is this in high-profile cases like this? What are the potential legal and strategic implications of this silence?
**Section 2: The Role of Previous Convictions (Focus on Penza’s prior conviction and potential connections to other cases.)**
* **To [Guest 1]:** Penza claims that he has already been convicted for similar crimes in the “Final Blow” operation. Does this suggest a pattern of criminal behavior? Could this case be linked to other drug trafficking networks operating in the region?
* **To [Guest 2]:** How significant is the fact that many of the accused have a previous criminal record? Does this strengthen the prosecution’s case or could it lead to complications regarding the admissibility of evidence?
**Section 3: The Broader Context: Drug Trafficking in Italy (Focus on the scale of the operation and its potential impact on the community.)**
* **To [Guest 1]:** This arrest involved a large number of individuals. What does this reveal about the scale of the drug trafficking problem in Lecce and the surrounding region?
* **To [Guest 2]:** The article mentions that Ivan Dell’Anna, accused in this case, is an “honest mechanic with no criminal record.” What insights does this individual case offer regarding the complex social factors that can lead to involvement in drug trafficking, even for those seemingly without prior criminal ties?
**Conclusion**
This case has undoubtedly shaken the community of Lecce. As the investigation progresses, we will continue to follow this story closely and provide updates on the developments. We thank you, [Guest 1] and [Guest 2], for sharing your insights with us today.
**Note:** This interview structure is designed to be flexible. Depending on the expertise of the guests and the focus desired for the discussion, themes and questions can be further developed or adapted.
