Two incidents of tax evasion and unauthorized meetings: "This is why Ottana's mayor ended up in prison."

Eight alleged violations of precautionary measures, two reported cases of tax evasion, and meetings with unauthorized persons, including politicians, an administrative official, and a well-known prelate . These are the factors that, according to the Court of Nuoro, led to the aggravation of the precautionary measure against the mayor of Ottana, Franco Saba .

In an official statement, the president of the court clarified the reasons for the order, specifying that the decision is not related to the appointment of the new municipal council , but exclusively to alleged violations of the provisions imposed after the previous tightening of the measure. According to the prosecution's reconstruction cited in the statement, Saba violated the precautionary measures eight times .

The alleged incidents also include two alleged escapes aimed at meeting unauthorized persons . On these occasions, according to the prosecution's allegations, the suspect allegedly had contact with political figures, an administrative official, and, through a well-known prelate , even with the injured party called to testify in the proceedings. The Court also emphasizes that the increased measure was imposed because the suspect's reliability in complying with the restrictions imposed on him had declined and because of his persistent ability to evade the already applied and already increased provisions.

The notice recalls that the main proceedings concern the alleged accusation of repeated threats and pressure against Enel to obtain the cancellation of the hiring of a citizen of Ottana, who had duly won a selection process, in order to favor a municipal councilor instead . Finally, the Court specifies that all the facts described constitute provisional charges filed by the prosecution, still subject to judicial review, and that the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence remains in effect until a final conviction is issued.

The full statement from the Court of Nuoro

This press release is issued pursuant to Circular No. 153/VV/2025 of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, dated June 10, 2026, entitled "Updating the Guidelines for the Organization of Judicial Offices for the Purpose of Correct Institutional Communication" (resolution of June 10, 2026). The sole purpose of this press release is to ensure accurate, complete, and balanced information on a judicial decision that has aroused particular public interest, avoiding inaccurate interpretations of its content.

In relation to the news circulating regarding the order to increase the precautionary measure issued against the mayor of a municipality in the district, it is appropriate to clarify several points. The order to increase the precautionary measure is not based on the appointment of the new municipal council, a circumstance that is not the subject of the measure under analysis today nor of the related precautionary assessment. The decision is instead based on the allegation of eight separate violations of the precautionary measures , all allegedly committed after the previous increase in the precautionary measure. That measure, adopted in the least punitive manner possible, required prior authorization for visits with relatives, following the violation of the communication ban connected to the appointment of the council, which was deemed criminally unlawful.

Of particular note among these subsequent conducts are several telephone conversations, which were completely intercepted. According to the prosecution's allegations, these included two incidents of evasion, aimed at meeting unauthorized persons for purposes related to the matter under investigation . According to the prosecution's hypothesis, during these meetings, the suspect also had contact with political figures and an administrative official, and also made contact with the injured party, who was called to testify in the proceedings, through a well-known prelate whom he repeatedly contacted by telephone and allegedly met during one of the contested evasions.

The aggravation of the measure was therefore ordered due to the repeated violation of the precautionary provisions subsequent to the first aggravation and considered symptomatic of the suspect's diminishing reliability with respect to compliance with the limitations imposed on him and of his persistent ability to evade the provisions already applied and already aggravated .

It should also be noted that the main proceedings concern the accusation alleging that repeated threats and pressure were used against Enel to obtain the cancellation of the hiring of a citizen of Ottana, who had duly won the selection process, in order to instead hire a city councilor. According to the prosecution's allegations, after Enel refused and the successful candidate was notified of the hiring, the pressure continued to secure the city councilor's hiring through further intimidation measures, one of which, according to the provisional indictment, consisted of blocking a traffic convoy.

Finally, it is emphasized that this press release is for informational purposes only and that all the facts described constitute provisional charges raised by the prosecution, still subject to final judicial review. Therefore, the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence remains in effect until a final conviction is issued. The Court of Nuoro deems it necessary to clarify that this press release is intended solely to ensure, in the public interest and in compliance with the principles of transparency, impartiality, and correctness of institutional information, that the content of the judicial decision is faithfully represented, preventing partial or inaccurate reconstructions from creating misunderstandings regarding the reasons for the decision. As per the circular highlighted above, any amendments and cancellations of the provisions in question will be promptly communicated, ensuring all personal details are de-indexed.