Officials blame the Camorra, the local mafia, which largely controls the waste disposal system. The magistrate leading an investigation into the scandal, Donato Ceglie, has accused officials of ignoring the fact firms linked to the Camorra have for years dumped rubbish, including toxic waste, in illegal tips, which are now overflowing. The president of the Campania region, Antonio Bassolino had been questioned by magistrates over the rubbish but had “committed no illegal act whatever”. The central Government has set aside 15 million euros ($24.3 million) to resolve the emergency and 3200 tonnes a day were being sent by train to Germany. The first consignment left from Salerno yesterday.
