Prosecutors in Reggio Calabria have opened an investigation into Maria Pia Tropepi, 43, on double murder charges related to the deaths of her husband, Amedeo Matacena, and his mother, Raffaella De Carolis.
Matacena and De Carolis died in Dubai on 16 September and 18 June 2022, respectively, according to investigative sources reported by ANSA.
Tropepi, originally from Lamezia Terme in Calabria, was the last wife of Matacena, who fled to the United Arab Emirates to avoid a conviction for aiding the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate. His mother joined him in the UAE a few months before their deaths.
Matacena’s conviction dates back to 2013, when he was sentenced to five years in prison for external support to the ‘Ndrangheta, a powerful organised crime group based in Calabria. He was found guilty of using his political influence, as a lawmaker for Forza Italia to further the interests of the criminal organisation. Following the ruling, Matacena fled to Dubai to avoid imprisonment, as the UAE does not have an extradition agreement with Italy.
His exile sparked years of legal and diplomatic efforts by Italian authorities to have him returned to serve his sentence.
Prosecutors, led by Sara Parezzan, have ordered the exhumation of both bodies, with autopsies scheduled for 1st October.
Tropepi, who resides in both Dubai and Italy, had opposed the repatriation of her husband’s body after his death, claiming he wished to be cremated. However, Matacena’s children successfully repatriated his body and buried him in the Formia cemetery.
