Sondrio, 20th October, 2012 - Davide Callina sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment and to a €4,200 fine for holding, carrying and receiving a stolen firearm and for criminal damage followed by arson, acquitted of attempted extortion; co-defendant, Gianfranco Gandelli, acquitted of all crimes. Yesterday afternoon saw conclusion of the trial of first instance against two Valtellina men charged following the investigation implemented and completed by the Mobile Sondrio Unit, known as "Yards on fire".

Callina, a 30 year-old entrepreneur from Castione, was charged with holding, carrying and receiving a gun that investigators found at his home after listening to intercepted phone calls in which he said he killed the bank manager and the loan shark who was tormenting him. It was on his arrest in February 2008, for the gun, that the entrepreneur confessed (he would later retract his confession) to starting the fire, with Gandelli (42 year-old mechanic from Postalesio), to three diggers, two belonging to Tmg Scavi, which he accused of "driving" the calls for tenders for public works and with whom he had had disagreements, and one belonging to the company Valena, in error.

Hence the charge of arson, which judges Barabara Licitra (chairman of the board), Carlo Camnasio and Barbara Della Nave reduced the charge to criminal damage followed by arson, which resulted in the conviction of Callina and the acquittal of Gandelli. Three, in particular, the fires attributed to the two defendants: on 16th September, 2007, the flames destroyed a vehicle belonging to Tmg Scavi at Ardenno, on 11th November, 2007 an excavator belonging to Valena Mantello was destroyed and, lastly, on 30th December, 2007, another Tmg vehicle was damaged by fire, this time in Valmasino.

The last charge for both defendants was extortion: according to prosecutor, Stefano Latorre, the two allegedly acted to extort money from Guglielmo Trivella, owner with his ex-wife of Tmg, and not for revenge as indicted in the 30 year-old's retracted confession. Both Davide Callina and Gianfranco Gandelli were acquitted of this charge for not having committed the crime.

The judges substantially accepted the requests of  Gianfranco Gandelli's defence lawyer, Antonino Rossi, while the public prosecutor had asked that he be sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment and an €1,500 fine. As regards Davide Callina, the bar agreed with the requests of the public prosecutor, who had requested 4 years' imprisonment and an €2,000 fine. Indeed, the conviction was heavier than expected given that three of the charges were reduced and that the young entrepreneur from Castione was acquitted of the most serious charge.

by Susanna Zambon

http://www.ilgiorno.it/sondrio/cronaca/2012/10/20/789545-sondrio-callina-ruspe-bruciate.shtml