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Sunday, February 04, 2007

Raciti murder "was revenge"

The police are now suggesting that Filippo Raciti was targeted in a revenge killing for acting as a witness in the trial of a Catania Ultra’.

The 38-year-old policeman was killed during riots that surrounded the Stadio Massimino while Catania-Palermo was played inside.

An autopsy has now confirmed he died from massive liver damage. "The cause of death is clear," announced the MD.

It was already known that the Catania fans staged an ambush on the arriving Palermo fans and police force, but a frightening new theory has come to light – the football match was merely an excuse to exact revenge on the Chief Inspector.

"In the last few weeks, Filippo had acted as a key witness in the trial of a Catania Ultra’ accused of violence in the last derby at Palermo. He was the one who nailed him, reconstructing the events of another nightmare evening," explained police colleague Claudio Anzalone.

"Filippo told me how things unfolded. That lad, who got a suspended sentence, left the court laughing at him and hurling insults. Now this incident could really mean something, even if nobody listened to our warnings before."

This theory would fit in with the sequence of events on Friday evening at the Stadio Massimino.

The Palermo fans did not arrive until the second half and it was here that the trouble erupted, when Catania supporters waiting outside the stadium began their ambush.

Raciti, one of the policemen escorting the visiting fans, was struck in the chest by a rock and then a homemade bomb was thrown at his car.

"We can confirm that there was no involvement of the Palermo fans," said Catania police chief Ignazio Fonzo.

"The riot was solely created by pseudo-Catania supporters, real delinquents with a premeditated action of extreme violence. It’s a little early to talk today about a premeditated and targeted murder, however."

More evidence suggests this may have been revenge for the first derby match between the sides earlier this season, won 5-3 by Palermo at the Stadio Renzo Barbera on September 20, 2006.

Raciti had been placed in a desk job for the past few months, but became restless and at his request was returned to duty at football matches just over a week ago.

The tension expected in the derby may well have given the criminals the perfect excuse to commit murder disguised as football-related violence.

Last night the police raided several different Catania fan clubs to weed out the more hardline elements. So far 22 people are under arrest.


Source: C4 Football Italia

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