The Somalia-gate case of 1997, which involved the Folgore Paratroopers Brigade, turned out to be a striking example of disinformation based on false accusations. The episode began when the weekly magazine "Panorama" published an article based on alleged testimonies of violence committed by Italian soldiers against Somali civilians. The accusations focused on extremely serious events, including abuse and violence, allegedly involving members of the Folgore during the mission in Somalia.
The affair took an unexpected turn when it emerged that the published news was completely unfounded. The core of the accusations was based on the account of Benedetto Bertini, a former soldier who confessed to having invented everything for personal reasons. Bertini, a young unemployed man with drug addiction problems, sought to gain financially by selling false information and non-existent photos to the newspaper, hoping to obtain up to seven million lire.
Bertini's attempt to stage a theft of the non-existent "scoop" photos and his subsequent hospitalization for self-inflicted injuries were the culmination of a series of actions aimed at supporting his story.
However, the investigators of the Palermo police, thanks to the collaboration of the Folgore soldiers and the inconsistencies that emerged during Bertini's interrogation, managed to uncover the truth.
The Somalia-gate affair served as a warning about the importance of source verification and the dangerous consequences that false news and unfounded accusations can have on the reputation of people and institutions.
In conclusion, the case was resolved by revealing the absolute innocence of the "Folgore" soldiers involved and leaving behind questions about media dynamics and the ease with which false narratives can be constructed and spread, with significant repercussions on the lives of those involved.
The newspaper l'Unità, not exactly a friend of the Folgore, on June 27, 1997, opened with:
So much thundered that it rained. It was a downright fabrication, and - objectively - not even one of the most sophisticated. Out comes the mythomaniac and visionary paratrooper, thirsty for money and with drug addiction problems, ready to invent a convenient reconstruction of the Somalia events just to get seven million in return, so "unhinged" that he was convinced the hen would give him many more golden eggs. A well-conceived plan, his, which however slipped on the banana peel of a long interrogation at the Palermo mobile unit where - by school and tradition - they normally know how to distinguish between charlatans and people who don't have time to waste.
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