Clementina Forleo
Encyclopedia
Maria Clementina Forleo (born 1963, in Francavilla Fontana
, province of Brindisi
) is an Italian
preliminary judge
(Giudice per le indagini preliminari, or GIP for short) at the Court of Milan
.
She came to national prominence after discovering the existence of audio tapes of telephone calls between high level Italian politicians and Stefano Ricucci and Gianpiero Fiorani
. These businessmen had mysteriously become extremely rich in about only 10 years buying and selling very expensive and extravagant luxury real estate
properties, with earnings around 100% to 300% over a reasonable market price. Italian journalists have speculated that this could reflect a new way of bribing politicians.
students in Italy. After getting her degree in law summa cum laude from the University
of Bari
, she took a series of competitive exams in order to join the police
or the judiciary.
In 1989, having won one of the two competitive exams (certamen
), Clementina Forleo became a commissioner in the Polizia di Stato
. After only one month, having won the other certamen, she resigned from the Italian police in order to begin her career as a judge. During her short period in the police, she received a "solemn praise" (encomio solenne) because of her work during the crisis resulting from large-scale illegal immigrants from Albania
and Africa to the Puglia region of Italy.
ian nationals, Maher Boujahia and Ali Toumi, and a Moroccan
, Mohamed Daki, innocent of the charge of international terrorism. Several Italian and international media organizations criticized her decision, which was motivated by the distinction between the actions committed by freedom fighters and terrorists (the first executing attacks against military targets, the second attacking helpless civilians). This concept was welcomed and further amplified by the judges of the Appeal Court (Corte d'Assise d'Appello).
Later, her judgment was reversed by the Italian Supreme Court
(Cassazione
) and then by the second Corte d'Assise d'Appello, on October 23 of 2007, noting the terrorist, rather than military nature of the criminal plans that were attributed to the suspects. Mohamed Daki was condemned to 4 years of prison on the charge of international terrorism, and the two Tunisian nationals were sentenced to 6 years.
) in the so-called Bancopoli
scandal. This brought her harsh criticism by many members (Clemente Mastella
, Massimo D'Alema
) of the center-left coalition headed by Premier Romano Prodi
.
. Her father was Gaspare Forleo, 77, an attorney and former mayor of Francavilla Fontana, and her mother was Stella Bungaro, 75, a high school math teacher.
Francavilla Fontana
Francavilla Fontana is a town and comune in the province of Brindisi . And it's also called "Imperiali Town" after the feudal lords that ruled the town from the end of 16th to 18th century.-Geography:...
, province of Brindisi
Province of Brindisi
The Province of Brindisi is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. Surrounded by vineyards and artichoke fields, Brindisi is a major sailing port for the southern part of Italy....
) is an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
preliminary judge
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
(Giudice per le indagini preliminari, or GIP for short) at the Court of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
She came to national prominence after discovering the existence of audio tapes of telephone calls between high level Italian politicians and Stefano Ricucci and Gianpiero Fiorani
Gianpiero Fiorani
Gianpiero Fiorani , is an Italian banker and manager who was implicated in the Italian banking scandal of 2005 known as "Bancopoli".- Biography :...
. These businessmen had mysteriously become extremely rich in about only 10 years buying and selling very expensive and extravagant luxury real estate
Luxury real estate
Luxury real estate is the real estate market niche targeted at the highest socio-economic group of consumers. -Definition:The characteristics that define luxury real estate differ among countries...
properties, with earnings around 100% to 300% over a reasonable market price. Italian journalists have speculated that this could reflect a new way of bribing politicians.
Education
She got her diploma as one of the top 25 high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students in Italy. After getting her degree in law summa cum laude from the University
University of Bari
The University of Bari is a university located in Bari, Italy. It was founded in 1925 and is organized in 12 Faculties.-Organization:These are the 13 faculties in which the university is divided into:* Faculty of Agricultural Science...
of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, she took a series of competitive exams in order to join the police
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
or the judiciary.
In 1989, having won one of the two competitive exams (certamen
Certamen
Certamen , Latin for "competition", is a quiz bowl-style competition with classics-themed questions. The reference invokes the brief ancient Greek account of the Contest of Homer and Hesiod, Certamen Homeri et Hesiodi. The formats differ, but most are similar to the formats of quiz bowl...
), Clementina Forleo became a commissioner in the Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
. After only one month, having won the other certamen, she resigned from the Italian police in order to begin her career as a judge. During her short period in the police, she received a "solemn praise" (encomio solenne) because of her work during the crisis resulting from large-scale illegal immigrants from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and Africa to the Puglia region of Italy.
Judicial career
Clementina Forleo became famous as a judge when she found two TunisTunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
ian nationals, Maher Boujahia and Ali Toumi, and a Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Mohamed Daki, innocent of the charge of international terrorism. Several Italian and international media organizations criticized her decision, which was motivated by the distinction between the actions committed by freedom fighters and terrorists (the first executing attacks against military targets, the second attacking helpless civilians). This concept was welcomed and further amplified by the judges of the Appeal Court (Corte d'Assise d'Appello).
Later, her judgment was reversed by the Italian Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
(Cassazione
Court of Cassation (Italy)
The Supreme Court of Cassation is the major court of last resort in Italy. It has its seat in the Rome Hall of Justice.The Court of Cassation exists also to “ensure the observation and the correct interpretation of law” by ensuring the same application of law in the inferior and appeal courts...
) and then by the second Corte d'Assise d'Appello, on October 23 of 2007, noting the terrorist, rather than military nature of the criminal plans that were attributed to the suspects. Mohamed Daki was condemned to 4 years of prison on the charge of international terrorism, and the two Tunisian nationals were sentenced to 6 years.
Defense of African immigrants
Another controversy arose when Clementina Forleo interrupted a violent arrest, involving an officer who was later expelled from the police force. On July 8, 2005, she protested against the violent arrest of an African outside a subway station, after he was found without a valid ticket during a routine check on the train. Forleo arrived at the scene of the arrest, identified herself as a magistrate, and made a complaint about excessive violence on the part of the group of policemen, who then decided to sue her.Inquiries about the purchase of the Antonveneta bank involving the PdS party
One of the most important inquiries done by Clementina Forleo involved the purchase of Banca Antoniana Popolare Veneta (known as AntonvenetaAntonveneta
Antonveneta , was in 2008 the 9th largest banking group in Italy in terms of customer loans and the 8th largest in terms of total assets, with 1,000 branches, 10,800 employees and €50bn in assets....
) in the so-called Bancopoli
Bancopoli
Bancopoli was the name coined by the Italian press to identify the finance and banking scandals that played out for the Italian public between July 2005 and January 2006...
scandal. This brought her harsh criticism by many members (Clemente Mastella
Clemente Mastella
Mario Clemente Mastella is an Italian politician. He is currently leader of Popular-UDEUR, a minor centrist Italian party. He was Minister of Labour in the Berlusconi government from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995, and Minister of Justice in the Prodi government from 17 May 2006 to 17 January 2008...
, Massimo D'Alema
Massimo D'Alema
Massimo D'Alema is an Italian politician. He is also a journalist and a former national secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left...
) of the center-left coalition headed by Premier Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
.
Death of her parents in a mysterious car crash
She received an anonymous letter threatening her parents with death by car crash. This became reality on August 28, 2005, when her mother and her father lost their lives in a car crash on the road connecting Francavilla Fontana and Sava, in the province of BrindisiProvince of Brindisi
The Province of Brindisi is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Brindisi. Surrounded by vineyards and artichoke fields, Brindisi is a major sailing port for the southern part of Italy....
. Her father was Gaspare Forleo, 77, an attorney and former mayor of Francavilla Fontana, and her mother was Stella Bungaro, 75, a high school math teacher.
External links
- Intervista barbarica: Clementina Forleo - Daria Bignardi, Invasioni Barbariche. December 28, 2006