Sicily by Car Founder Placed Under Police Protection After Palermo Arson
Escalating Attacks and Police Response
Background of the Attacks
ROME, June 12 (Reuters) - The founder and chairman of Italian car rental company Sicily by Car, Tommaso Dragotto, said in an interview on Friday he had been given a police escort after a string of attacks on his company.
Details of the Palermo Arson Incident
In the latest incident, which triggered the decision to place the 88-year-old under protection, a company car depot in the Sicilian capital of Palermo was set ablaze in the early hours of Thursday, destroying 11 vehicles.
Previous Attacks and Threats
Two other arson attacks have taken place in the last three months, and in March Italian news agencies reported that gunshots were fired at the entrance of one of the company sites.
Dragotto's Response and Stance Against Mafia
Impact on Personal Life
"Three (arson) attacks in eighty days is really too much. I didn't want an escort, because it changes your freedom, your movements, your daily life. They told me that I cannot refuse it," Dragotto told La Stampa.
Refusal to Pay Protection Money
He also said he had never been asked to pay protection money to the mafia, and that he would refuse any such request: "One thing should be clear: I have never paid, I will never pay, and I will not start now".
Authorities' Actions and Broader Context
Police and Prosecutors' Response
Following Thursday's attack, Palermo anti-mafia prosecutors and police said eight people had been arrested on charges of extortion and attempted murder, aggravated by the use of mafia methods.
The Ongoing Threat of the Cosa Nostra
Sicily's Cosa Nostra mafia, which was rampant in the 1980s and early 1990s, has lost influence in recent decades following the arrest of its senior leadership. It nevertheless remains a fearsome organisation.
Impact on the Local Community
Mayor Roberto Lagalla said the city had in recent months suffered from "a worrying escalation of acts of intimidation, arson attacks, and acts of violence against business people, shopkeepers, and citizens."
(Reporting by Mirko Miorelli, editing by Alvise Armellini and Gavin Jones)
