Chapter 3
Today, the second public hearing was about to take place. The first hearing had been covered all throughout Italy as a national sensation. There were even headlines making extreme claims about Falco’s downfall and the trial’s future.
“Now then, will the witness please proceed to the stand?”
“…Yes.”
At the judge’s summoning, a man surrounded by prison officers—the witness, Pollo—stood up. His face was already lean to begin with, but now it was even more gaunt. He looked like an entirely different person from the witness of the first hearing.
“Now, witness, can you tell us your name and background?”
“Pollo Albatero, born July 7th, 1958, on the Sicilian island of Lipari. I was a bank worker up until two years ago.”
As the questioning was picking up where it had left off, it was the defense’s turn to question the witness. The lawyer sitting next to Tizzano got to his feet. He raised his hand straight up into the air. Pollo had a look of fear on his face as he watched him. The lawyer had a question for Pollo.
“So, Mr. Pollo, I’d like to ask you about your testimony. You accused the 32 defendants of this case of being members of Passione. Am I correct?”
After a brief pause, Pollo nodded, looking straight ahead.
“…Yes. It’s true that I made that statement.”
“And you are certain that they are all members of Passione?”
At the lawyer’s query, Pollo thought for a long time, then shook his head.
“…No.”
Loudly pushing back his chair, Falco jumped to his feet.
“Are you saying that you lied to the prosecution?”
“…Yes. Everything in my testimony was a lie.”
“Your Honor, I object!” shouted Falco from the prosecution bench.
“The defense will refrain from leading the witness in an effort to get a certain answer. Please cease your line of questioning.”
“Your Honor, allow me to emphasize that these questions are an important part of the process to getting to the heart of this chaotic case. I would also like to express that I have no intention to lead the witness whatsoever.”
The judge nodded at the lawyer’s answer.
“The prosecution’s objection has been overruled. Defense, please continue.”
Falco sat back down in his chair, grimacing.
Seeing this, the young man in the spectator area tilted his head.
It’s not like a veteran like Falco to make an objection like that. He seems like he’d normally let this kind of thing go. Is he getting flustered? Well, it’s no wonder…
After the first hearing came to a close, Pollo the witness had firmly kept his lips sealed. The prosecution had never managed to have a fruitful conversation with him until now, and it had no idea why he had suddenly overturned his own testimony.
The lawyer took the microphone and continued the questioning.
“Now, let’s continue. Mr. Pollo, why did you commit an act of perjury?”
“…Prosecutor Falco pressured me to.”
Murmurs rippled through the spectator area. All of the journalists began scribbling in their notebooks at once. The judge called for order in the court.
“Could you tell us the specifics of the situation as you remember them?”
“Y-Yes, Your Honor… As far as I can tell, it seems to have something to do with my past career.”
“Your past career? Would you be able to tell us more about your work history?”
“Y-Yes, Your Honor. During my time as a bank teller, I was also secretly engaging in money laundering with my clients.”
“Were you aware of the illegality of those acts?”
“Yes, I was.”
“And you continued with them despite that?”
“I was receiving margins from my clients for the work. It seems Prosecutor Falco was able to trace the flow of assets. While I wasn’t prosecuted a second time, my past arrest didn’t do me any favors. He took advantage of my weakness.”
“Is it true that you assisted the defendants in money laundering schemes?”
“Yes, it is.”
“But you have no connection with the defendants, and you have never heard of the gang called Passione?”
“I had heard of them. However, I’ve completely washed my hands of gang business. I have no knowledge of the defendants’ relationships with one another, nor where their money is going. All I did was work with each one separately to launder money.”
“Objection!” Falco raised his hand. “The witness’s statements massively contradict those offered to the prosecution. I would like to review Exhibit B-7.
In relation to the indictment, the prosecution had gathered evidence in their investigations and searches and presented it to the judges. Exhibit B-7 was a record of Falco interviewing Pollo. The conversation was presented in writing.
“This conversation between Pollo and I was transcribed by a clerk. Please review page 5. It states that Pollo himself called his clients members of Passione. I believe this makes it clear that the witness’s remarks heavily diverge from the truth.”
The lawyer smiled smugly.
“The defense believes that Exhibit B-7 is the record that diverges from the truth.”
“What…?”
“Normally, spoken interviews are recorded by way of a tape recorder. However, the prosecution failed to do so with Exhibit B-7. Instead, the exhibit is limited to a court reporter’s abbreviated record of proceedings. Do these not seem like unnatural methods?”
“If you’d like to know why a tape recorder wasn’t used, it’s noted in the script that the one in the prosecution’s possession was broken at the time of the interview, hence the need for a court reporter’s transcription! In addition, records written by court reporters are recognized in a court of law—they are by no means illegal.”
The judge nodded after hearing Falco’s rebuttal.
“These are valid claims. The defense will acknowledge that the prosecution’s record is legal.”
“…Understood, Your Honor. But still, I wonder. There is no evidence to support the fact that the tape recorder was broken. Is it not a possibility that the prosecution simply put that on the record to dissuade suspicions of it being broken on purpose?”
“What the hell are you talking about?! Prosecutor Falco would never do such a thing! That’s a baseless claim!”
The shout echoing across the courtroom came from the young prosecutor sitting next to Falco.
“Prosecution, please refrain from speaking out of turn.”
“…M-My apologies.”
After his passionate outburst, the prosecutor bowed his head. The way he had just spoken, along with the warning passed down from the judges, greatly worsened the prosecution’s impression.
Now the defense went on to rub salt into the wound.
“According to Mr. Pollo’s testimony, he was coerced into perjury by Prosecutor Falco. In that case, how can we say that the evidence gathered from the accused is legitimate? It’s possible that the records of money laundering were all fabricated. In this country’s courts, an admission of gang relations leads to a reduced sentence. In past trials, a significant number of defendants confessed their guilt. Nevertheless, the 32 defendants in this trial all insist they are innocent, and that is proof in and of itself.”
To summarize the lawyer’s claims, the prosecution did not stop at pressuring the witness to give false testimony, but also fabricated the evidence that led to the defendants’ arrests.
This sounds like way too exaggerated of a plot to be true… but his claims hold water.
Supporting the lawyer’s outrageous claims, much of the submitted evidence in this case was dependent on Pollo’s testimony. Prosecutor Falco had completely changed from how he seemed during the Great Gang Trial. Now, it was beginning to look like he had built an entire case on perjury.
“The defense has no further questions.”
The lawyer sat back in his seat, looking satisfied. It was all according to the hypothesis of the composed-looking man sitting next to him, Tizzano.
The whole trial is going according to his plan…
Originally, this would have marked the end of Pollo’s questioning, but due to the chaos of the first hearing, a request by the prosecution to question him once again was approved.
“I’m Prosecutor Falco.”
He fired off questions with a stern expression. His face looked as if it had aged ten years since the last hearing.
“Mr. Pollo, you seemed to want to be very cooperative with us up until now. Why did you decide to change your testimony so suddenly during the first hearing? I’d like to hear your reasoning.”
“…Prosecutor Falco, I thought you would of all people know best,” Pollo murmured as he looked away.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Until now, I’ve been under strict surveillance by both you and the police. I had guards following me constantly, even waiting outside of the door when I was in the bathroom. I had no freedom, not even a single person I could call a friend. But there are countless spectators in this court, along with the impartial clerks of the court. There’s no need for me to give false testimony anymore. I promised to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!”
“…!”
Falco grit his teeth, looking frustrated.
The rest of the questioning went the same way. Falco urged Pollo to tell the truth, but he simply shook his head. It was like an arm-wrestling match between one reputation and another. Time dragged on; it seemed almost as if Falco was trying to buy himself time. Even some of the spectators began to show their irritation.
“Objection, Your Honor,” called the lawyer. “The prosecution has been repeatedly asking questions that stray from the original purpose of the case. The defense does not believe this to be a productive use of our time in court. I request a warning be given to cease at once or question the witness effectively.”
“Objection sustained. Prosecution, please change your line of questioning.”
“…Understood, Your Honor.”
Prosecutor Falco nodded silently. The man, once known for his piercing, hawklike gaze, was now a shadow of his former self. All that stood there now was a tired old horse.
“One more question. Mr. Pollo, you made an oath at the beginning of the trial, yes? You swore to tell the whole, unobscured truth. Could you say that oath again for us?”
“…Of course I could, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“Even if your own family was here watching you?”
“…I have no blood relatives.”
Pollo explained that his parents had passed away when he was young. He left the witness stand and returned to his seat.
Accusatory glances fell on Falco from the spectators after he asked the rude question.
Looks like this case is already decided.
The young man in the spectator area exhaled. It’d take a miracle for Falco to get his underdog story now. The ball was entirely in their court now. All of the defendants would probably need to be re-investigated now as well.
Next up was yet another witness cross-examination. Apparently, the prosecution had found witnesses other than Pollo. The judge called this witness to come up to the stand. However, the courtroom remained silent.
“…Prosecution, has the witness still not arrived?”
“Apologies, Your Honor. It appears there’s been a delay.”
Murmurs erupted in the courtroom once again. Now a witness was late to court? The whole system was falling apart. Even the clerks, who should have been bringing order, seemed somewhat annoyed.
“Well then, the prosecution’s witness testimony is hereby postponed to…”
As the judge spoke, the courtroom doors swung open. Between two men who looked like detectives stood a woman. She looked to be in her thirties. Her hair was frazzled, and her clothes looked somewhat unkempt. She seemed composed, but her overall look gave a slight impression of dirtiness.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Prosecutor Falco!” shouted one of the detectives, an older man in a messy coat. He gave Falco a thumbs-up. Falco returned the gesture, smiling. It seemed the two knew each other.
Over in the prosecution bench, Falco got to his feet, full of newfound vigor.
“Your Honor, I apologize for the wait. This woman is our witness.”
For some reason, his expression was full of life.
What’s with that attitude? Is there something special that woman’s bringing to…
Just then, the young man came to a realization. The lawyer, previously so full of confidence, was now growing pale. Tizzano sat next to him with his hand covering his mouth.
Tizzano… No way. Is that what’s happening here?
Many of the spectators didn’t grasp what was happening yet, but the young man was beginning to. This woman held some incredibly important information—the key to the entire case.
“Are you all right? You seem out of breath…”
“Yes, I’m fine,” the woman answered in a husky voice.
“First, please state your name and background for the record.”
“I’m Melissa Collina. I was born March 26th, 1966. I live in Sicily… My husband and I run an arancini shop in Salina.”
Salina was one of the islands of the Eolie archipelago.
The young man’s hunch was correct.
Pollo said he was born in Lipari during his questioning… That’s another one of the islands of the Eolie archipelago.
Falco began his questioning of the woman.
“Now, I’d like to ask you a few questions. There’s no need to worry. Just relax and answer what I ask honestly.”
“A-All right…”
“Please take a look behind you.”
In the spectator seats behind the woman, Pollo trembled. Pollo and she stared at one another for a moment.
“Do you know the man sitting in that chair?”
“Yes, I’ve seen him before. But I don’t remember his name…”
“Can you recall where you saw him?”
“At the shop I run. He comes about once a year. He’s a very good customer. I never forgot his face, since he always seemed to enjoy my food.”
“What kind of impression did you get from him?”
“I don’t really remember speaking to him… but he seemed like a nice man to me.”
“Thank you very much. The prosecution has no further questions.”
“…Defense, are you all right with the questioning ending here?”
The clerk’s eyes were wide.
“Yes. As stated before, the prosecution has completed its questioning… and it also appears that the witness is quite exhausted. If the defense is finished with its questioning, it would be best to take her out of court right away.”
An awkward silence filled the courtroom. It was likely most of the spectators had no idea why. The information gained through this testimony was practically worthless. All they had learned was that Pollo had been the woman’s customer.
Now, it was the defense’s turn to question the witness, but they weren’t doing that. The lawyer’s face was white as a sheet. His whole body shook as he stood in front of the microphone, saying nothing.
“…Why?” he finally choked out in a strained voice. “Why are you here?”
The woman stared at him, puzzled.
Having nothing more to say, the lawyer sat back down in his chair. He didn’t answer when the judge addressed him. The defense’s questioning was ruled to be finished.
The woman was immediately led out of the courthouse doors by the detectives. As soon as she left, the seated Pollo’s hand suddenly shot up. All of the fear he had been showing a moment ago had vanished. He looked triumphant as he stretched his hand into the air.
“What is it, witness?”
“Your Honor, if I may… There’s something I forgot to state earlier. May I have the time to declare it now?”
The judges exchanged glances and held a quick conversation.
“…Your request is approved. Please keep it brief.”
Pollo got to his feet. As he walked to the witness stand, he looked over at the prosecution bench. Falco returned his gaze. Their expressions were very different from before. They seemed less tense. It was as if they were two old friends from school reuniting years later.
Don’t tell me Falco found out…?
The young man put a hand over his mouth. Were that the case, it would all make sense. The way the lawyer’s face had grown pale, the way Falco and Pollo were acting towards one another, and the meaningless testimony from before—all of it.
Why had Pollo suddenly rebelled against the prosecution?
It could only be because he was secretly collaborating with Passione.
That woman… I remember now. Pollo’s younger sister was kidnapped by Passione!