avvocato costamagna: The document is completely 51irrelevant to the object of this trial. A ruling not to proceed because of an amnesty, regarding events that supposedly happened almost thirty years ago. I object to any request to produce this document and to any use being made of it at this trial, and I repeat my objection to this method of suddenly bringing out documents when there is a specific phase of proceedings when such requests may be made.

assistant prosecutor: Your Honour, I fear that this impassioned reaction on the part of the defence is the result of a misunderstanding. I haven’t asked to produce this ruling, although naturally I reserve the right to do so should the need arise. I simply wanted to show it to the witness in order to jog her memory. She has denied ever being subject to legal proceedings, whereas this ruling demonstrates the opposite.

presiding judge: Show the witness the ruling, Assistant Prosecutor.

At this point the assistant prosecutor shows the document to the witness.

assistant prosecutor: So, signora, do you remember being subject to legal proceedings for the charges of aiding and abetting and resisting an officer of the law?

witness: I was never put on trial.

assistant prosecutor: It says here that you struggled with officers of the Treasury Police to prevent them from arresting a drug dealer. It also says that there is no evidence for an acquittal, but that since there has been an amnesty – the last amnesty, Your Honour, the one in 1990 – the charge, or rather, the charges are to 52be declared null and void. Don’t you remember being involved in anything like that? Weren’t you ever taken to a Treasury Police station in relation to the arrest of a drug dealer who was a friend of yours?

witness: Many years ago there was something like that. But it was all a mistake. He wasn’t a drug dealer, he was a young man who had a few small pieces of hashish and the officers —

assistant prosecutor: So now you’re starting to remember. To be precise, they were officers of the Treasury Police.

witness: All right, I don’t even remember what they were. The Treasury officers, or whatever they were, didn’t say that’s what they were, they didn’t identify themselves.

assistant prosecutor: Were you taken to a station and charged with aiding and abetting and with resisting an officer of the law?

witness: We went to a station, they took some statements, I have no idea what it was all about, I mean, I don’t remember, we’re talking about twenty-five years ago. I never heard any more about it. I didn’t even know this ruling you’ve shown me existed.

assistant prosecutor: Before this ruling was issued you were informed. You could have forgone the amnesty, asked for a trial and hoped for acquittal. Why didn’t you do so?