Mafia muscle in on wind farms

While the organised crime cartels of southern Italy have long been linked to waste management, it seems they are now trying to expand their portfolio of environmental businesses.


Police in the region made a series of arrests this week following allegations of corruption over the awarding of contracts for the construction of a Sicilian wind farm.

According to investigators, officials were bribed with luxury cars and cash to give the contract, worth hundreds of thousands of Euros, to Mafia-backed businesses.

They also say that the organised crime group based its own bid on a rival bid that was stolen from a safe in council offices of Mazara del Vallo, the municipality that planned the wind farm.

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