Sicilian deputy Gallo Afflitto suspended after house arrest for corruption

By the decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of October 1, 2026, the suspension of Riccardo Antonio Gallo Afflitto from the office of deputy of the Sicilian Regional Assembly was established. The measure is published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 240 of October 15, 2026, on page 36, with the official reference 26A05400, and sets the effective date of the suspension as July 13, 2026. The measure concluded with the Assembly’s acknowledgment of the interested party’s irrevocable resignation, which occurred on July 21, 2026.

The decree applies articles 7 and 8 of the legislative decree of December 31, 2012, n. 235, which provide for the automatic suspension from the offices of president of the regional government, regional minister, and regional councillor when a coercive precautionary measure is ordered against the holder. The prerequisite was triggered by the order of July 13, 2026, from the Judge for Preliminary Investigations at the Court of Caltanissetta, who applied house arrest pursuant to article 284 of the code of criminal procedure.

The investigation was based on note no. CSRS-0000603-P-4.37.4.2 of July 29, 2026, by which the State Commissioner for the Sicilian Region transmitted a copy of the order, as provided for by article 8, paragraph 4, of the aforementioned legislative decree. The text is signed by delegation by the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Alfredo Mantovano, by virtue of the decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of October 23, 2022; the Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies and the Minister of the Interior were consulted.

The alleged crimes and the precautionary measure

The order from the Caltanissetta court concerns the following crimes:

• corruption for the exercise of function, article 318 of the penal code;
• penalties for the corruptor, article 321 of the penal code;
• conspiracy to commit a crime, article 110 of the penal code.

The measure applied is the coercive measure of house arrest, governed by article 284 of the code of criminal procedure.

Effective date, resignation, and closure of the suspension

The decree precisely outlines the timeline of events:

• July 13, 2026: issuance of the order applying house arrest, the date from which the suspension takes effect;
• July 20, 2026: Riccardo Antonio Gallo Afflitto submits his irrevocable resignation from the office of regional parliamentarian;
• July 21, 2026: the Sicilian Regional Assembly acknowledges the resignation;
• October 1, 2026: date of the decree of the President of the Council of Ministers establishing the suspension;
• October 15, 2026: publication in the Official Gazette, General Series no. 240, page 36.

Article 1 of the measure establishes that the suspension is ascertained with effect from July 13, 2026, until the Assembly acknowledges the resignation. The suspension therefore operates for the period between the application of the precautionary measure and July 21, 2026.

The referenced regulatory framework

The measure is based on articles 7 and 8 of Legislative Decree no. 235 of December 31, 2012, expressly referred to in the operative part. Suspension by law occurs, among other things, when the application of the coercive precautionary measure of house arrest is ordered, without a conviction sentence being necessary.

The decree was adopted by the President of the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Presidency offices, with the cooperation of the Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies and the Minister of the Interior, and does not require a collective deliberation of the Council of Ministers.

For readers, the case documents the concrete application of the automatic suspension mechanism provided for holders of regional elective offices: publication in the Official Gazette makes the commencement of the measure official and verifiable, which in this case ended within a few days as a result of the deputy’s voluntary resignation.

Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 240 of October 15, 2026, p. 36 — Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers October 1, 2026, “Ascertainment of the suspension of Mr. Riccardo Antonio Gallo Afflitto from the office of deputy of the Sicilian Regional Assembly” (26A05400).