Havana/Madrid/The Italian businessman Berto Savina – known on the island as Bartolomeo Sabina Tito -, president of the Itrsav conglomerate, with numerous businesses in Cuba, he flatly denies 14ymedio be the author of Multiple outrage That in the early hours of August 25 he left a deadly victim, Mairovis Valier Heredia, and eight injured in Havana. From his native country, and through video call, he assures this newspaper that he was not in the Cuban capital at the time of the event, and provides documentation to his name on a flight Havana-Madrid-Roma on August 18, a week before the event.
Air Europa plane tickets only confirm that the businessman was in Havana between August 9 and 18. In no case constitute a proof that there were not a week later in Cuba, where it resides part of the year to serve their businesses.
The contact takes place one day after 14ymedio He would publish, according to a knowledgeable source that begged to conserve anonymity, than the detainee for the facts was none other than Savina, owner of the store in dollars Casalinda and closely related to the dome of the Cuban regime.
“The businessman is currently in Avezzano [en la región de Abruzzo]where he always continues his activity and his daily life, ”he publishes this Wednesday An Italian local digitaltogether with the businessman’s denial. This laments: “The association of its name with the Cuban episode is not only completely unfounded, but also runs the risk of causing serious damage to its personal and professional image.”
“It has contacted the Italian Embassy in Havana and will provide an official denial”
His son, Gianluca Savina, who meets him, warned that what is published by this newspaper is a “false article” and said: “The Italian embassy has been contacted in Havana and will provide an official denial.” So far, the diplomatic headquarters have not spoken.
After the publication of the note of 14ymedioInalbis Heredia, relative of the deceased, said On Facebook That the person responsible for the outrage was a 57 -year -old Italian named Mario Pontolillo, who was accompanied by a photo. In a comment to Post of this newspaper where the information was disseminated, written four hours before the Reel Inalbis and now erased, another user pointed out that he knew that Mario was called but that he did not remember the last name.
It is a former agent of the Italian body of Carabinieri and, according to its Facebook page, resident in Cienfuegos, not in Havana.
Until this Wednesday, in statements offered to different mediathe family claimed to have no idea of the identity of the detainee. Inalbis Heredia was even who four days ago published the video where the sister of the deceased and wounded in the event, Danieyis Lamorú Heredia, and her mother They denounced that no authority had gone to see them or told him who was responsible for his misfortune.
“No one has come here to help us, being my grandson of the Far and the dad too,” the grandmother of the two younger children cried in the same transmission, that Mairovis Heredia left orphans with an older son who studies in the military academy. The deceased had moved just days before the capital to get ahead.
Inalbis Heredia, a relative of the deceased, said on Facebook that the head of the outrage was a 57 -year -old Italian named Mario Pontolillo
The source that said to 14ymedio That the detainee for the multiple outrage was Berto Savina reaffirms in his version and asserts that the entrepreneur has connections at the highest level in Cuba that would not hesitate to create an scapegoat.
Visiting the Apartment building of El Vedado where the neighbors heard the alleged aggressor discuss moments before taking the Red Audi that he threw over several passersby through the streets of Centro Habana, the residents claimed that he was known “for being a drug user.”
Of course, they took care to reveal neither the name nor the trade of the suspect. “Do not ask much, that is in Candela,” the widespread response to this newspaper was on Wednesday. On the silence of the authorities, which after their brief statement did not give news of the “foreign citizen resident in the country” detained, a neighbor had expressed: “take care of him so much because something must have.”
Berto Savina, president of the Itrsav conglomerate, present on the island since the mid -90s through stores such as water and soap, has never hidden its ties with the highest hierarchies. In some of the interviews they have done in Italian media, an image with Fidel Castro himself is observed in his office, and he has also been photographed with senior officials, such as Esteban Lazo or the current president, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
At the inauguration of Casalinda on April 12 – in full Galiano, just where the run over the passers -by – several were visible Red berets (Army prevention troops) Watching the long tail before opening doors. That day, 14ymedio He was able to verify how the businessman, accompanied by his son, supervised the operation. Asked about it, he refused to receive the appellants of “owner”, “owner” or “manager”. “I am a Cuban,” he said with a strong Italian accent.
