He had the Zagaria brothers arrested, now he is unescorted: “To entrepreneurs I say not reported”

“This country will never change. We tell the tales that everything is fine but here, if the Camorra does not kill you, the state will kill you. For two years they have taken away my escort without motivation, to me, so stupid as to report and arrest the Zagaria brothers and Sandokan’s cousin. ”Roberto Battaglia is the entrepreneur from Caserta who had the courage to say no to those who asked him for protection money, who agreed to start an armored life, in constant danger, ready to move around the courts to testify in person. Today at the Adnkronos he unleashes all his anger, for two years without any form of protection, although he still continues to attend the trials, “massacred” he says by a state that has “abandoned” him. “The trial accused Luigi Schiavone, cousin of Sandokan, is not yet at the end of the first degree – he explains – if it had not been for my lawyers, who with the DDA have challenged the aggravating mafia, the crimes would have all been prescribed: let’s talk about one who has been to rested in the act of crime on my farm, found with 150 thousand euros worth of checks, cash, bills of exchange, even from other entrepreneurs who had not had the courage to report. The Zagaria brothers were acquitted, it is not clear how, it is true that the Attorney General wanted to appeal to the Supreme Court. My farm, the dairy: everything is destroyed. The refreshments do not arrive and we are in a situation in which those who would like to report and look at my example do not report, because they fall from the frying pan into the embers ”. Today, adds Battaglia: “The situation is unlikely, I lost my homes waiting to have refreshments with the ongoing trials: my mother at 80 found herself without a roof, who will give me back what I had? Today I am for rent, my car was burned, serious damage was done to the equipment, at the time I asked to have a deposit on the refreshments that I am entitled to and I am still waiting, I have applied to the Prefecture of Caserta for 8 years. And it’s not just me, many naive poor people who believe in the state, who have had the courage to denounce, failed because they are not protected. Today they tell me that I was crazy to report, they ask me who made me do it. They are right. Arrived at this point I would not only never do what I did, but rather I invite you not to report, which is not worth it. There is an absurd decline in complaints, anti racketeering associations do not offer support. While the trials last for years and years, in the meantime you are dead, completely abandoned. ”“ The icing on the cake is that they took away my escort even though I had to continue to attend the trials, without any protection. This is the example offered to those who would like to report. Unfortunately today there are other emergencies – continues the entrepreneur from Caserta – Afghanistan, migrants, Covid and every now and then they come out saying that the mafias infiltrate weak economic fabrics. And what solutions do they offer? None. I am in a state of disaster, the entrepreneur who denounces also has debts with the Revenue Agency and I do not even apply the suspension that should apply by law “. But that’s not all.” For a conviction – explains Battaglia – there was a provisional amount of 25 thousand euros that was due to me by right. When I went to request payment, the Revenue Agency withheld the amount and today I have nothing left, except debts. I’m in a chasm. All to show that there is no need to report. I am the one who denounced Zagaria and Schiavone, they put my houses up for auction, I lost the business, not having received the right refreshment to put it back into operation. If I had been silent I would have had to make the sacrifice to pay and suffer but at least I would not have taken the risk of my life. How can I tell entrepreneurs that you have to believe in the state if it becomes more and more absurd to go and ask for what you are entitled to when you decide to report? I believe in the judiciary, in the police forces, but up to a certain point they too can do, beyond that they can no longer go. There are dozens of cases like mine all over Italy. Without an escort, without protection or simple supervision. Then, however, there are journalists with an escort, without knowing what risk they can actually run “. (By Silvia Mancinelli)