Where does the money seized from criminal gangs go? Are we sure it's not wasted?
The idea of allocating the assets and money stolen from organised crime to common good It was first proposed by the Italian politician Pio La Torre: it was he who, in the 80s, promoted the law that later introduced the seizure and confiscation of mafia assets (known as Rognoni-La Torre law, from his name and that of the minister who supported it). The central intuition was precisely this: not to limit oneself to punishing the mafiosi, but return their illicit assets to the community, transforming them into resources for social uses, schools, cooperatives, and public services. An idea that cost Pio La Torre his life, murdered by the mafia.
Today the seized money ends up in Single Justice Fund (FUG) A container that collects various judicial revenues: seizures, confiscations, fines, penalties, and recovered debts. In this way, a treasure of approximately 4 billion euros has been created, which grows every year with seizures in the order of hundreds of millions of euros.
The Libera association, which over the years has promoted more than a thousand social initiatives to avoid wasting the money and assets seized from the clans, has launched the initiative “Let's give life to good”, linked to the 30th anniversary of Law 109/1996 on assets confiscated from the mafia. The petition asks for one specific thing: to allocate 2% of the Single Justice Fund to the social reuse of confiscated assets (for schools, nurseries, companies, cooperatives, social and community projects).
Libera's petition can be signed at one of the stalls that periodically take place in squares and streets, and also online.
In particular, the campaign "Let's give life to goodness" It provides for a digital signature collection as well as at the stands in the squares. To sign online, go to Libera website, where there is the page dedicated to the petition (with electronic signature form).
Cover image source: Libera contro le mafie/Facebook
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