Two on trial for threats to a reporter at Porto Empedocle

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The Bulone brothers are accused of attempted violence, slander and defamation against journalist Lelio Castaldo. The events date back to August 2018. The first in October 2019 at the Court of Agrigento.

On the 7th October 2019 the first hearing will take place of the trial of Salvatore and Maurizio Bulone, two brothers of Porto Empedocle (Agrigento), accused of attempted violence and slander (the first) and of defamation (the second) against the journalist Lelio Castaldo, chief editor of Sicilia24H.it. Giuseppe Aiello, the defence lawyer of the journalist, told Ossigeno that the judge – during the hearing of May 20th 2018 – decided to commit to trial the two brothers. Castaldo is a civil party, claiming damages of 50,000 euros.

Both the Bulone brothers are supporters of the mayor of Porto Empedocle (from the Five Star Movement) and one of them, Maurizio, was the first of the non-elected candidates of the Movement’s list.

The disputed facts date back to August 2016. After the publication of an article in which the journalist criticized the administration, Salvatore Bulone ordered Castaldo – through a third person – to stop writing otherwise he would be persecuted by a family member in the Carabinieri. After Castaldo had publicly denounced the threats Salvatore Bulone filed a defamation complaint against the journalist. This led in turn to Bulone being accused of slander.

On the other hand, Maurizio Bulone’s position is different. He is accused of defamation for having posted on Facebook a statement in which he described Castaldo as a “pseudo journalist who, generously remunerated, slings mud at the dignity of individuals with his Mafia methods and with his false and violent articles”.

RDM (wt)