Palumbo shipyard owner acquitted in Messina illegal dumping case

Antonio Palumbo, the owner of Palumbo Shipyards, has won a lengthy eight-year legal battle in Sicily after the Messina Court of Appeal this week overturned his conviction in a case involving the illegal dumping of waste.

Palumbo had been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in 2019 by a Messina court, which ruled he had facilitated illegal dumping between 2011 and 2013.

Palumbo said he had always maintained that the case was politically motivated. “I feel vindicated that justice has finally prevailed and that the reputation of the 54-yea-old family business remains intact.

“I wish to express my great satisfaction at the outcome of this sentence which has finally re-established the truth in a bitter story that has caused great upset to my professional and personal life,” he said.

Palumbo Group today boasts eight shipyards and runs the former Malta Shipyard in Cospicua, a business Palumbo took over in 2010, turning it into one of the best yards in the Mediterranean.

Palumbo, who in April 2013 was the legal representative of Palumbo Group, was on Thursday acquitted of all charges. Disqualification sanctions against the company were also revoked.