Chico Forti, the uncle: “He’s exhausted, tragedy without end, stop rebounding responsibility”

“Six months between the announcement of his transfer and the execution seemed more than enough to overcome any bureaucratic obstacles. Instead, this family tragedy, as well as judicial, never seems to end. We ask for answers and certain times. From no one gives us any news for months. ” To say this in an interview with Adnkronos is Gianni Forti, the uncle of Chico, the former sailor and television producer who has been serving a life sentence in the US since 2000 for the alleged murder of Dale Pike, which took place on February 15, 1998. in Miami, a murder of which he has always professed innocence. On December 23, the Foreign Minister, Luigi Di Maio, announced the transfer of Chico Forti to Italy, but since then the case seems to have stopped. At the center of the impasse are the documents that the United States Department of Justice should have sent to the Ministry of Justice to agree on the commutation of the sentence since the life sentence without parole to which the former sportsman was sentenced does not exist in the Italian legal system. “Without these documents, which should have been sent some time ago, Chico cannot return to Italy – now reiterates his uncle -. From the announcement by Minister Di Maio it seemed that a few weeks would pass, we were expecting him on February 14 for his mother’s birthday. who turned 93, then at Easter, and finally in May. Instead, still nothing. We remain stuck at the stake. The Americans are not in a hurry, the Italian state should be in a hurry “. Uncle Gianni is worried. Also because “Chico has been waiting for months for the good news that has not yet arrived. By now he is exhausted, exhausted. He has always been a fighter, but there is a limit to everything. It is a daily torture. been communication problems, he lives in a state of near isolation “. The latest formal communication between Italy and the US is a letter sent by the Keeper of the Seals last March 10 to the governor of the State of Florida, to “draw his attention to the case and provide further reassurance, in order to facilitate the transfer to Italy. “. A letter that was not answered. “I don’t understand why the minister cannot write again to understand the reason for the delay in sending the documents.” Chico Forti’s family asks for “a precise point of reference, whether it is the minister, his deputy or an extraordinary commissioner, it doesn’t matter, who follows the story closely and on a daily basis and solicits the bureaucratic process. If the ball is now in hand to the Ministry of Justice the latter will carry out a serious and strong speech to determine answers and times “. The goal is only one. “We have to find a way to get him back to Italy and do it soon, before it’s too late,” says Uncle Gianni who in all these years has fought for the release of his nephew. “I went to seven ministers, each time they told me that the Chico Forti case was a priority of the Government but then it all ended up in the drawer. Our family felt bitter disappointments because every time the goal seemed to be one step away, governments and interlocutors changed. and we would start all over again “. “Now it is time to put an end to this rebuke of responsibility – he says without mincing words -. The Farnesina has done its part, now it’s up to the Ministry of Justice. We have been waiting for six months, I believe that if there is a good will does not take eternity to find the solution to this case. Perhaps it would be enough to pick up the phone or take a trip there … We are asking for answers, we have been waiting for too long now “. (by Rossana Lo Castro)