Updated: Palumbo shipyard head arrested in Sicily

Antonio Palumbo, who owns the Palumbo shipyard in Malta, and his son Raffaele, were among seven men arrested in Sicily yesterday for alleged conspiracy to violate environment laws through the organised illegal transport of hazardous waste. The men are insisting they are innocent. The operation was conducted by Messina environment police supported by the Guardia di Finanza. A magistrate ordered the temporary seizure of €226,000, which is the amount that Palumbo would have saved by disposing of the waste illegally. The crime is alleged to have taken place at Palumbo’s Messina shipyard. The Palumbos are also suspected of trying to hide evidence.   They have been placed under house arrest. But in a statement, Palumbo’s defence lawyer Francesco Picca insisted that his clients were innocent. He said that they had already expressed their willingness to clarify matters being investigated. The lawyer said that some time ago, Palumbo Spa had initiated civil action against subcontractors in relation to how they were disposing of sandblasting waste.