Roughly 30 people, including top managers, medical doctors and police officers at the Palazzo San Gervasio pre-removal centre in Potenza have been placed under investigation in a probe sparked by revelations concerning the alleged maltreatment of a migrant.
Briefing reporters in the Basilicata regional capital, Curcio said “people who caused problems were treated like monkeys” at the centre.
In particular, he said investigators have established the “large-scale administration of a drug, Rivotril, commonly known as the ‘drug of the poor’ for no need”.
Ritrovil is a medication used to prevent and treat a number of psychiatric disorders including anxiety, panic disorder and mania.
The investigations have brought to light a total of 35 cases of ill-treatment of people detained at the centre, leading to the arrest of a police inspector and three other disqualification measures.
In another strand of the probe, investigators have also uncovered “a genuine monopoly on legal assistance” at the pre-removal centre, with fees “in one case of as much as 700,000 euro” paid by the State to a single law firm.
The government of Giorgia Meloni is planning to double the number of CPRs in Italy from the existing ten as part of its efforts to combat irregular migration.
ANSA
