Regional authorities withdraw permit after citing risk of organised crime infiltration linked to a subcontractor
It is one of Europe’s most celebrated shorelines, framed by mountains and 19th-century villas and famed for its Caribbean-blue water and white sand.
But Mondello beach in Palermo, Sicily, has also been mired in controversy, the subject of complaints stretching back a century from residents and tourists who say its private lidos, cabins and deckchairs have left scant room for public access.
All that could change after Sicilian authorities revoked the permit of Italo Belga, the company that has controlled the beach for all that time, citing the risk of mafia infiltration into another firm subcontracted to carry out maintenance.
Last year, an inquiry by the regional MP Ismaele La Vardera and reporting in La Repubblica newspaper revealed that individuals who worked for the subcontractor GM Edil had relatives who were members of Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian mafia that controls the Mondello area. La Vardera was subsequently given police protection.
