Before the criminal court in Liège on Thursday afternoon, the public prosecutor demanded a 15-month prison sentence for Mario R., a reformed gangster who had been involved in drug trafficking.
The man, extradited from Sicily to Belgium, is also reported to be implicated in several cases of murder committed by the mafia in Belgium.
The defendant, aged 33, had given valuable information concerning court cases to the Sicilian authorities. The repentant mafioso, who had received police protection, finally retracted and had not wished to collaborate further.
Beforehand, he had supplied many details concerning criminal acts by revealing names, mobile numbers and technical details relating to murders that took place thanks to mafia links between Liège and Sicily.
Following the issue of a European arrest warrant, he was arrested at home before being extradited to Belgium. He is being pursued by the Liège courts notably for criminal association and drug trafficking. The warrant particularly concerns a cannabis plantation that was discovered above a cafe in 2017 and dealing in cocaine along with Albanian accomplices in a former Beyne-Heusay cafe.
The prosecutor demanded a 15-month prison sentence. The defence, conducted by Mr Thône, pleaded for his acquittal for cocaine trafficking and a suspended sentence for acts relating to a cannabis plantation.
Judgement will be given on November 14.
The Brussels Times
