London, April 18 : An entire mafia clan will once again be terrorising an Italian city, thanks to the laziness of a judge in signing off their sentences.

According to reports, 13 members of the notorious Strisciuglio clan will be set free on Wednesday.

Nine more members of the mafia will be freed next month.

Under Italian law, judges are required to officially confirm sentences or the defendants can get them struck off.

It was in January that the thugs were jailed, following a show trial of 161 mob members.

All of them were serving up to 14 years for killings, intimidation, violence, and theft.

However, the felons are all set to walk free and terrorise the streets of Bari once again.

Bari criminal court director Giovanni Leonardi defended Judge Rosa Anna De Paolo.

"It was a huge trial of 161 people on charges and it''s not easy for only one judge to process all the documents," the Daily Express quoted Leonardi as telling the Australian Times. (ANI)