Reporters of Legality
http://flarenetwork.org/blog/2009/09/18/reporters-of-legality/
It was February 2009 when FLARE met Petra Reski. This genuine and kind woman lives in Italy, and works as reporter for one of the most important German daily newspapers. Only two months earlier, her new book soon found space on many bookstores’ shelves in Germany and we were eager to meet the person who intended to explain the organised crime phenomenon to an “unaware” public. At a café in a nice square, Petra told us her motivations behind writing such book and the way her life changed ever after.
Petra Reski lives in Italy since 1989 when she had to write a reportage about “the Palermo spring”. She then decided to stay in order «to understand the contradictions of this land, even through the mob». Since then, she hasn’t stopped working on it. Petra was awarded the German “Best Journalist 2008” prize for the category “reporter” following the publication of “Mafia. Von Paten, pizzerien und falschen priestern”. In Italy, she won the “Premio Civitas 2009” for «her commitment to the values of journalism» and the “Amalfi Coast Media Award”, the international award on journalism. Photo: www.petrareski.com
She gained even greater popularity – perhaps to an extent she would have hardly predicted – after the “Duisburg massacre”.
It was August 15, 2007. Inside an apparently-quiet pizzeria a slaughter took place in which six men were killed. German secret services and Italian police forces soon found out that night a setting of scores occurred in an anonymous little town such as Duisburg, between two Italian mafia clans.
This episode was perceived in two completely different ways. In Italy, it finally caused a drawing of attention towards a country (Germany) in which Italians informally knew organised crime runs businesses and uses it as hiding place but still they lacked noticeable proof. In Germany instead, the general reaction was a mixed feeling of disbelief and mistrust towards a phenomenon that German citizens believe not to be their problem – or at least a problem not to locate on their own territory: that is, organised crime gangs wealthy operate in Germany.
Petra Reski, a courageous German journalist who lives in Italy since 1989, published her new book in September 2008 (“Mafia. Von Paten, pizzerien und falschen priestern”). A brave reportage of the infiltration of Italian mafia gangs in Germany and their way to conduct businesses in Italy. She did not hold her hand back when writing names and last-names in her book, alleged of being questionable businessmen operating in Germany on behalf of the Calabria mafia, the ‘ndrangheta.
The ‘ndrangheta has been competing with Camorra (an umbrella of organised crime gangs from Naples and surrounding territories) the title of most powerful criminal gang in Italy. The ‘ndrangheta makes tremendous profits from drug trafficking, dumping of waste, arms trafficking and money extortion. In Germany their activities broadens to cars theft and forgery. Their annual money circulation worth € 45 billions, as much as one third of Italian 2007 GDP (note 1). Most of such terrific amount of money fuels Germany economy and it would be naïve and superficial to believe it does not have a tremendous impact on it. Their infiltration in Germany counts 229 clans and about 900 members, mostly concentrated in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg (note 2).
Petra Reski’s book sold 50.000 copies so far in Germany and it will soon be published in USA, Poland, Spain,
The Duisburg massacre took place in Duisburg in August 14, 2007. Six men were shot dead in front of the restaurant “Da Bruno”. It was soon discovered the dispute was part of a long-running and deadly feud (known as San Luca feud) in Calabria region, involving two local family-clans for the control over the criminal activities of their (disputed) territory. Photo: Wikipedia
Netherlands and Czech Republic. Since then, Petra has experienced changes in her life. Threats, ambiguous statements about her work, trials. In her book, several sentences are censored in black. Spartaco Pitanti e Antonio Pelle – two Italians operating in Germany known by German secret services and Italian police to belong to the San Luca feud – brought her to court.
In Italy, Petra’s book was launched about a month ago and the sales are speeding up. The preface of the book is signed by antimafia national general attorney Vincenzo Macrì, an authority in Italy for the fight against organised crime.
Now, in the contradictory framework that characterizes Italy and its politicians, Senator Marcello Dell’Utri recently released an interview to a daily Italian newspaper (Libero, September 11, 2009) in which he openly attacks Petra Reski’s book. Mr Dell’Utri defines Italian general attorneys as «impartial lawyers, paid by the state» and he comments Reski’s work as «a book full of incredible falsities».
Mr Marcello Dell’Utri holds a seat at the Italian Parliament for Silvio Berlusconi’s party “Forza Italia”. He was arrested in 1995 for tampering with the evidence of the trial upon the funds of “Publitalia ‘80” for which he was given a 27 months sentence (final sentence). In the same year he won a seat at the European Parliament. In 1996, he was investigated for mafia criminal offences. On December 11, 2004, was found guilty for the crime of mafia affiliation by the Court of Palermo (9 years of imprisonment, first grade sentence) (note 3).
Senator Marcello Dell'Utri. Photo: marcellodellutri.it
After the above-mentioned interview by Marcello Dell’Utri, FLARE intends to raise up indignation made by ambiguous individuals upon the statement over a remarkable book. Petra Reski professionalism – acquired as a foreign reporter for Die Zeit and through collaborations with Geo, Focus, Merian – brings her now to face a raw reality. Writers like her are tremendously needed in Europe and in all its member states. Organised crime has long become a European issue and FLARE cannot but strongly support those individuals who do their bit in their effort to inform and raise awareness about such living matter.
1. Italian Minister of Interior (www.interno.it)
2. Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt)
3.“Sentenza del Tribunale di Palermo”, December 11, 2004 www.narcomafie.it/sentenza_dellutri.pdf)
by Lorenzo Bodrero - FLARE Communication and Information department
