Court acquits policemen in Mafia trial

An Italian court acquitted the head of Italy's secret services and a senior police official on Monday on charges related to the arrest of the Mafia boss of bosses, Salvatore "The Beast" Riina.

Secret service chief Mario Mori and top Carabinieri officer Sergio De Caprio were feted as national heroes for the prominent role they played in capturing Riina, who was seized in 1993 after 23 years on the run.

But the initial euphoria faded when it emerged that the police had failed to search Riina's hideaway until 19 days after his arrest, giving the Mafia enough time to strip the building, clean the floors, paint the walls and remove all fingerprints.

Investigators last year demanded the trial of Mori and De Caprio on charges of aiding and abetting the Mafia - a move that infuriated Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government which said the two men were victims of the justice system.