Abuse of office, the PD mayor criticizes the party: “Abolishing that crime is a victory”

Abuse of office, the PD mayor criticizes the party: “Abolishing that crime is a victory”

The Senate voted to declassify abuse of office with the opposition of the Democratic Party. Matteo Ricci, mayor of Pesaro and national president of Italian local authorities, are you satisfied as an administrator? “On this issue, like other aspects of justice, there is a divergence and a discussion that has lasted for years between administrators and the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party. For us, first and foremost comes the role of mayors. At every meeting of the ANCI, from ten years to this part, we have asked the governments of the day to review the crime of abuse of office. When a centre-right government does it, we cannot change our minds. For us it is a victory”, explains Ricci to the Qn. Parliamentarians and national leaders of the Democratic Party instead warn of the risk of corruption. Why so much distance? “We have posed the issue in the light of the statistics. In 95% of cases the charges end with acquittal or dismissal – the words of the Dem mayor Matteo Ricci to the QN – This means that in 95% of cases it gets muddy the name of an administrator solely for a signed document or a voted resolution. Furthermore, clogging up an already historically clogged judicial system. After that, net of the abuse of office, I believe that in the Democratic Party there is an unresolved issue which concerns the guaranteeism”. Ricci underlines: “I think of a guaranteeist left, whereby a person is guilty after the third degree of judgement. While in recent years administrators have often willingly abandoned themselves politically after a notice of guarantee. From Vasco Errani to Filippo Penati to Catiuscia Marini: everyone abandoned after a warrant. We must untie this knot. Taking a person's guilt for granted after a warrant is not only wrong towards the accused but also disrespectful towards the judiciary. It is as if second and third degree do not counted for nothing.”

Pd divided on abuse of office, Orlando to dem mayors: “Do they want to abolish it? They're wrong”

“The left-wing mayors who ask to change the law on abuse of office for fear of signature are wrong.” The words of the former Keeper of the Seals Andrea Orlando, according to what Repubblica reports, towards Matteo Ricci, Antonio Decaro, Giorgio Gori, Matteo Biffoni and the other first citizens of the Democratic Party in favor of the abolition of abuse of office.

Justice: Orlando, 'left-wing mayors against abuse of office are wrong'

“Deleting from our legal system that concept of abuse of power present in all international organizations is what one would expect from authoritarian political forces, not from self-styled liberals. Those left-wing mayors who ask to change the law for fear of signature are wrong.” PD deputy and former Justice Minister Andrea Orlando said this to Radio Popolare when commenting on the Nordio bill being examined in the Senate. “I can understand that we want to discuss how abuse of office should be configured, the deputy tells the broadcaster, but canceling from our legal system what is the translation into Italian of a concept contained in the documents of all the international organizations of the abuse of power is what is expected from authoritarian forces and not from self-styled liberals, the abuse of power was invented to prevent citizens who have no tools from being somehow violated by public authorities”. When asked about mayors, including those on the left, who are asking for a change in the crime of abuse of office due to the so-called “fear of signature”, Orlando responds: “They are wrong, it is a serious political mistake because I think that reconfiguring the abuse of office is an appropriate exercise, canceling it risks creating even more problems for the mayors than it will solve, it will be the mayors of the next decades who will pay for the mistake of evaluation done today”.

Justice: Bonelli, 'breaking down abuse of office cancels over 3 thousand convictions'

“Abolishing the crime of abuse of office, approved by the Senate Justice Committee, represents a blow against justice in our country. Thousands of processes will crumble, casting disturbing shadows on trust in institutions. We are witnessing a progressive restriction of wiretapping and the intention not to reform but to eliminate abuse of office. This maneuver will perpetuate the responsibility for illicit acts on numerous honest directors, burdened with accusations not directly related to their conduct. The analysis of magistrates and jurists highlights the cancellation of 3,623 final convictions in the last 25 years.” Thus the co-spokesman of Green Europe and Avs MP Angelo Bonelli. “Those currently serving sentences will also have their sentences expunged – continues Bonelli – The convictions will be annulled and the sentences in execution interrupted. This decision risks opening passages towards total impunity for local administrators, in contrast with the majority's approval of new crimes, maintaining unreduced sentences for events such as rave parties or daubing on walls”.

Justice: Santalucia (Anm), 'unacceptable criminal law indifferent to abuse of office'

“How can criminal law remain indifferent to a public official who abuses his powers, who abuses the rights of citizens, who behaves in an abusive manner towards the rights of private individuals? This is unacceptable.” Cthus the president of the National Magistrates Association, Giuseppe Santalucia, responds to the microphones of Tg3 to a question on the abolition of the crime of abuse of office on the sidelines of the hearing in the Justice Committee of the Chamber.

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