Former vice-president of the Sicily Region Giuseppe Armao under house arrest for corruption

House arrest on charges of corruption for the former vice-president of the Sicilian Region, the lawyer Gaetano Armao, husband of Giusi Bortolozzi, former head of cabinet of the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio. The precautionary measure was ordered by the Palermo investigating judge, Giuseppa Zampino, in relation to the corruption investigation connected to some environmental authorizations.

Also under house arrest are the lawyer Pierluigi Matta and Luigi Zancla, former president of Samo onlus. The accusation was therefore accepted according to which Armao, who is also an expert of the President of the Region, would have pocketed money in exchange for favours.

However, the measures were rejected for the regional deputy of the MPA Giuseppe Lombardo, for Mario Lupo (president of the 'Samot onlus') and for the entrepreneurs Sergio Vella (of Seap Bio Energy), Giuseppe Argirò and Marco Gentile Malacarne (former managing director and former co-general director of CVA, the Valle d'Aosta water company).

Investigating judge, "at least four deliveries of money from Matta to Armao documented"

“The captive findings document at least four deliveries made by the lawyer Pierluigi Matta to Gaetano Armao, respectively on 6 October 2025, 10 November 2025, 9 February 2026 and 7 August 2026, united by confidential methods, references to the monthly salaries paid by CVA and subsequent concealment by the public official”. Thus the Palermo investigating judge in the order that led to the two lawyers, Armao and Matta, under house arrest for corruption. "In the first episode, Matta extracted a wad of banknotes contained in a plastic bag from the inside pocket of his jacket and placed it at Armao's disposal; upon the latter's request to clarify which period the sum referred to, Matta replied "August" - we read in the investigating judge's order - Armao then withdrew the money and placed it in the inside pocket of his jacket. The delivery took place after, on 11 September 2025, C.V.A. Eos had credited Matta with €9,832.96 as compensation relating to the month of August 2025". "In the second episode, on 10 November 2025, Matta placed a white envelope with bulky contents in the glove compartment of the car; immediately afterwards he wrote an indication on a piece of paper, read by Armao, who pronounced the word "SEPTEMBER". Also in this case, the reference corresponded to the monthly salary indicated in the invoice issued by Matta and in the subsequent payment of 9,832.96 euros from C.V.A. Eos.

The caution of communicating the reason through a piece of paper, the subsequent decision to get rid of it and the absence of any formalization of the delivery constitute elements incompatible with an ordinary legitimate economic regulation - we read further - The third episode, documented on 9 February 2026, presents even more significant characteristics. On 7 February 2026 Armao asked Matta, in a low voice, when he would bring the additional sums and what the quantity was. The following February 9, after going to a bank branch, Matta met Armao and used the latter's coat to hide the delivery; Armao specifically asked where the sums had been placed and, at a later time, extracted a package from his overcoat which he hid inside a container placed in a pendulum clock. The episode followed a few days after the payment by CVA Eos to Matta of three months' arrears equal to €29,498.88". "The fourth episode, which occurred on 7 August 2026, saw the delivery of two envelopes hidden inside a folder, visibly containing 50.00 euro banknotes ("to eight for now!!", as had been established in the Rome meeting of 4.8.2026). Even in this last case, the episode followed by a few days the payment, on 29.07.2026, of the salary for the month of May 2026 received from CVA - writes the investigating judge - Added to these episodes are the conversations in which Armao expresses money needs; Matta claims to have "everything covered"; two refer to the C.V.A. monthly payments and the renewal of the contract;