THE Palazzolo family has it in for The Namibian.
The allegedly Mafia-linked family is demanding that the newspaper’s Editor, Gwen Lister, and The Free Press of Namibia, the company that owns and publishes The Namibian, hand over N$7 million to them – or else. The family, who also style themselves under the more European aristocratic-sounding surname Von Palace-Kolbatschenko, have had five legal summonses demanding payment of N$7 million in total served on The Namibian.SECURITY DEMANDED In the summonses, signed by their lawyer, Lucius Murorua, they claim that four members of the Palazzolo, alias Von Palace-Kolbatschenko, family have been defamed through reports published in The Namibian late last month, as well as in the free weekly newspaper Informanté.They are demanding that The Namibian pays them N$7 million in all to compensate them for the injury they claim to have suffered to their reputation.If the money is not handed over, they say they will drag the paper to court with five defamation suits.The newspaper will be defending the cases, the paper’s lawyer, Michael Boettger of the law firm LorentzAngula Inc, said yesterday.He added that since the four plaintiffs are foreigners to the jurisdiction of Namibia’s High Court, they must put down a deposit of N$150 000 as security.This money is to cover legal costs in the event that they lose the cases they have lodged against the newspaper and are ordered to pay the paper’s legal costs.The members of the Palazzolo, alias Von Palace-Kolbatschenko, family who are suing the newspaper are alleged Mafioso and South Africa-based fugitive from Italian justice Vito Roberto Palazzolo – “also known as Robert von Palace-Kolbatschenko”, it is stated in the summons that was served on The Namibian – and his brother, Pietro Efisio Palazzolo, “also known as Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko”, and two sons of Vito Palazzolo, Pietro Palazzolo, “also known as Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko”, according to the summons of his case, and Christian Palazzolo, “also known as Christian von Palace-Kolbatschenko”.They are suing the The Namibian in connection with a front-page story that was published in the newspaper under the headline ‘Mafia linked to Namibian gems’ on March 23.In that story, freelance journalist John Grobler reported that the Sicilian Mafia, by using front companies to buy existing but unused diamond buying, cutting and polishing licences in Namibia, had allegedly obtained an interest in Namibia’s fledgling diamond-cutting industry.All four plaintiffs were mentioned in the report in various roles and capacities.They were all defamed through that, they now claim in the summonses.Vito Palazzolo, alias Robert von Palace-Kolbatschenko, is demanding N$4 million.He claims that the report in The Namibian depicted him as “dishonest and a corrupt gangster, or (who) has been assisting gangsters to achieve unlawful ends, or both”.A report that was published in Informanté on March 28 under the headline ‘Minister awards mining rights to mafia boss’ also depicted him as being “dishonest and a corrupt and convicted gangster”, he is claiming in a second summons that was served on The Namibian.Pietro Efisio Palazzolo, also known as Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko, is demanding N$2 million from the newspaper.In the March 23 article, he claims, “the thrust is that Plaintiff assisted his brother, a senior member of the Italian Mafia, to obtain an interest in Namibia’s diamond-cutting industry by using front companies, thereby affording the Mafia ‘a huge money-laundering opportunity’”.He, too, is claiming that he was depicted as “dishonest and a corrupt gangster, or (who) has been assisting gangsters to achieve unlawful ends, or both”.The younger Pietro Palazzolo, alias Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko, claims that the report depicted him – because of the fact that he was a director in a “front company”, Avila Investments, which acquired one of the mentioned licences – as someone who is “dishonest and a corrupt gangster, or that has been assisting a gangster or gangsters to achieve unlawful ends, or both”.He is demanding payment of N$500 000 from Lister and The Free Press of Namibia.His brother, Christian Palazzolo, also known as Christian von Palace-Kolbatschenko, is also demanding N$500 000.He claims that the article was meant to convey to readers that he “was involved in bribing or attempting to bribe politicians to approve a controversial golf course development and that charges against him were only dropped in a plea-bargain arrangement”.The family, who also style themselves under the more European aristocratic-sounding surname Von Palace-Kolbatschenko, have had five legal summonses demanding payment of N$7 million in total served on The Namibian. SECURITY DEMANDED In the summonses, signed by their lawyer, Lucius Murorua, they claim that four members of the Palazzolo, alias Von Palace-Kolbatschenko, family have been defamed through reports published in The Namibian late last month, as well as in the free weekly newspaper Informanté.They are demanding that The Namibian pays them N$7 million in all to compensate them for the injury they claim to have suffered to their reputation.If the money is not handed over, they say they will drag the paper to court with five defamation suits.The newspaper will be defending the cases, the paper’s lawyer, Michael Boettger of the law firm LorentzAngula Inc, said yesterday.He added that since the four plaintiffs are foreigners to the jurisdiction of Namibia’s High Court, they must put down a deposit of N$150 000 as security. This money is to cover legal costs in the event that they lose the cases they have lodged against the newspaper and are ordered to pay the paper’s legal costs.The members of the Palazzolo, alias Von Palace-Kolbatschenko, family who are suing the newspaper are alleged Mafioso and South Africa-based fugitive from Italian justice Vito Roberto Palazzolo – “also known as Robert von Palace-Kolbatschenko”, it is stated in the summons that was served on The Namibian – and his brother, Pietro Efisio Palazzolo, “also known as Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko”, and two sons of Vito Palazzolo, Pietro Palazzolo, “also known as Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko”, according to the summons of his case, and Christian Palazzolo, “also known as Christian von Palace-Kolbatschenko”.They are suing the The Namibian in connection with a front-page story that was published in the newspaper under the headline ‘Mafia linked to Namibian gems’ on March 23.In that story, freelance journalist John Grobler reported that the Sicilian Mafia, by using front companies to buy existing but unused diamond buying, cutting and polishing licences in Namibia, had allegedly obtained an interest in Namibia’s fledgling diamond-cutting industry.All four plaintiffs were mentioned in the report in various roles and capacities.They were all defamed through that, they now claim in the summonses.Vito Palazzolo, alias Robert von Palace-Kolbatschenko, is demanding N$4 million.He claims that the report in The Namibian depicted him as “dishonest and a corrupt gangster, or (who) has been assisting gangsters to achieve unlawful ends, or both”.A report that was published in Informanté on March 28 under the headline ‘Minister awards mining rights to mafia boss’ also depicted him as being “dishonest and a corrupt and convicted gangster”, he is claiming in a second summons that was served on The Namibian.Pietro Efisio Palazzolo, also known as Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko, is demanding N$2 million from the newspaper.In the March 23 article, he claims, “the thrust is that Plaintiff assisted his brother, a senior member of the Italian Mafia, to obtain an interest in Namibia’s diamond-cutting industry by using front companies, thereby affording the Mafia ‘a huge money-laundering opportunity’”.He, too, is claiming that he was depicted as “dishonest and a corrupt gangster, or (who) has been assisting gangsters to achieve unlawful ends, or both”.The younger Pietro Palazzolo, alias Peter von Palace-Kolbatschenko, claims that the report depicted him – because of the fact that he was a director in a “front company”, Avila Investments, which acquired one of the mentioned licences – as someone who is “dishonest and a corrupt gangster, or that has been assisting a gangster or gangsters to achieve unlawful ends, or both”.He is demanding payment of N$500 000 from Lister and The Free Press of Namibia.His brother, Christian Palazzolo, also known as Christian von Palace-Kolbatschenko, is also demanding N$500 000.He claims that the article was meant to convey to readers that he “was involved in bribing or attempting to bribe politicians to approve a controversial golf course development and that charges against him were only dropped in a plea-bargain arrangement”.
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