Marco Mancini (born 3 October 1960) was an Italian secret agent who was a member of the Carabinieri and the Dipartimento delle Informazioni per la Sicurezza (DIS). He was also the second-highest-ranking officer of SISMI, the military intelligence agency of Italy,[1] until his 5 July 2006 arrest for his participation in the kidnapping of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr (the Imam Rapito case).[2] He was then indicted a second time on 13 December 2006 for his role in the SISMI-Telecom scandal.[3][4]
Career and SISMI-Telecom scandal
editBorn in Castel San Pietro Terme, Mancini led the anti-terrorist division of the Italian secret service.[5] Mancini was arrested alongside his superior, General Gustavo Pignero, on 5 July 2006. The investigations directed by Milan's public prosecutor Armando Spataro demonstrated that Mancini proposed himself to the CIA as a double agent.[6] According to Colonel Stefano D'Ambrosio's testimony to the Italian justice, the CIA refused because they considered him too "venal". His demand "left traces in the computer" of the U.S. intelligence.[6]
All SISMI testimonies concurred in saying that Mancini owed his dazzling career (he was a non-commissioned officer) to his "privileged relations with the CIA".[6] According to SISMI testimony, after the 17 February 2003 kidnapping of the Hassan Mustafa Nasr, then CIA director George Tenet sent a letter to SISMI General Nicolò Pollari in August 2003, to which he would owe, according to SISMI testimony, the real reasons of his promotion. On 12 February 2013, he was sentenced to a 9-year jail term by the Milano Court of Appeals.[7]
References
edit- ^ Wilkinson, Tracy (7 July 2006). "Italian Probe Broadens Beyond Abduction: Prosecutors in the case of a Muslim cleric seek evidence of illegal spying by intelligence officers. Some journalists also may be involved". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 24 March 2024 – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
- ^ Di Giorgio, Massimiliano; Stewart, Phil (5 July 2006). "Italian spies arrested, Americans sought for kidnap". Reuters. Retrieved 24 March 2024.[dead link]
- ^ "Inchiesta Telecom, Mancini arrestato per i dossier e le intercettazioni illegali". La Repubblica (in Italian). 12 December 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ Colaprico, Piero; D'Avanzo, Giuseppe; Randacio, Emilio (26 January 2007). "'Da Telecom dossier sui Ds' Mancini parla dei politici". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Italians held over 'CIA kidnap'". BBC. 5 July 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Biondani, Paolo; Olimpio, Guido (11 July 2006). "Un centro segreto Cia-Sismi". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "Italian ex-spy chief gets 10 years in CIA case". Reuters. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
Further reading
edit- Mantovani, Alessandro (12 August 2006). "Du riffifi dans les services secrets". L'Humanité (in French). Retrieved 24 March 2024.[permanent dead link]