Gallo, Balestra, Montanino
Background information on the prosecution main eyewitnesses.
Floriana Ballestra and Pietro Gallo were summoned for cross-examination before the Court of Trapani at the request of the prosecution. Both are former security operators of IMI Security Service, a company contracted by the owners of the rescue vessel Vos Hestia, operated by Save the Children. Their observations and testimonies played a significant role in the initiation of the investigation and became important elements of the prosecution's case against members of the Iuventa crew.
The reliability and interpretation of their statements have been contested by the defence and by independent researchers. In particular, investigations conducted by Forensic Architecture challenged key aspects of the allegations, while subsequent media interviews with Gallo appeared to qualify or distance himself from some of the conclusions that had been drawn from his earlier statements. In one interview, Gallo stated: "I never witnessed the NGOs collaborating with the traffickers. That was always just a hunch. We put two and two together."
Critics of the investigation have also pointed to contacts between the security operators and political actors associated with anti-migration positions. According to media reports, Ballestra and Gallo contacted representatives of the far-right Lega party in 2016 to share their concerns about NGO rescue operations in the Mediterranean. Published reports and intercepted communications cited during the investigation have been interpreted by some observers as suggesting that both individuals hoped their cooperation might lead to future professional opportunities.
Media investigations have additionally reported connections between IMI Security Service personnel and individuals involved in campaigns against NGO rescue operations, including actors associated with the Identitarian Movement.
Questions about the credibility of both witnesses have also been raised on the basis of their professional histories. Publicly available court decisions indicate that Ballestra was dismissed from her position as a municipal police officer following disciplinary proceedings. Court records relating to Gallo show that he was dismissed from the Italian State Police after disciplinary and judicial proceedings concerning misconduct.
Supporters of the Iuventa crew argue that these factors are relevant to assessing the reliability of the witness testimony on which significant parts of the prosecution's case were based. The prosecution, however, relied on the witnesses as important sources of evidence during the investigation.
Sources
Hacked Phones, Undercover Cops, and Conspiracy Theories (The Intercept, 21 December 2022)
Caos Mediterraneo: le manovre occulte di Defend Europe (Famiglia Cristiana, 22 September 2017)
«Inchiesta su Ong e scafisti grazie alle nostre denunce» (Il Tirreno, 29 December 2017)
Salvinis Spion (WOZ, April 2023)
Die Zeit, Von Laffert, 8 May 2019
Il Fatto Quotidiano, Massari, 27 January 2019