asterisk users - Nov 2005 - Comand Read issue (Asterisk rel. 1.0.9)

Hi everybody,
I have this issue: one particular Read command seems not work and return an
empty string immediatelly.

This is CLI output(partial)...

-- Goto (ask_aster,s,1)
-- Executing Read("SIP/2000-0b6d", "aster|asterisco|2|skip")
in new stack
-- Accepting a maximum of 2 digits.
-- Playing 'asterisco' (language 'en')
-- User entered '**'
-- Executing GotoIf("SIP/2000-0b6d", "1?ask_service|s|1") in
new stack
-- Goto (ask_service,s,1)
-- Executing SetVar("SIP/2000-0b6d", "aster=""")
in new stack
-- Executing Read("SIP/2000-0b6d", "aster|menu|1|skip") in
new stack
-- Accepting a maximum of 1 digits.
-- Playing 'menu' (language 'en')
-- User entered '1'
-- Executing SetVar("SIP/2000-0b6d", "try=3") in new stack
-- Executing Wait("SIP/2000-0b6d", ".5") in new stack
-- Executing GotoIf("SIP/2000-0b6d", "1?ask_codice|s|1") in
new stack
-- Goto (ask_codice,s,1)
-- Executing Wait("SIP/2000-0b6d", ".5") in new stack
-- Executing Read("SIP/2000-0b6d", "codicez|codice|1|skip")
in new stack
-- Accepting a maximum of 1 digits.
-- Playing 'codice' (language 'en')
-- User entered '

Extensions file:

[general]
static=yes
writeprotect=yes
[home]
exten => 2000,1,Answer
exten => 2000,2,Goto(start-con,s,1)
[start-con]
exten => s,1,DigitTimeout(6)
exten => s,2,ResponseTimeout(6)
exten => s,3,Goto(start-connect,s,1)
[start-connect]
exten => s,1,Answer
exten => s,2,Wait(2)
exten => s,3,Playback(benvenuto)
exten => s,4,SetVar(try=3)
exten => s,5,Goto(ask_aster,s,1)
[ask_aster]
exten => s,1,Read(aster,asterisco,2,skip)
exten => s,2,GotoIf($["${aster}" = "**"]?ask_service,s,1)
exten => s,3,SetVar(try=${try}-1)
exten => s,4,GotoIf($[${try} = 0]?ask_aster,s,1:numero_verde,s,1)
[ask_service]
exten => s,1,SetVar(aster="")
exten => s,2,Read(aster,menu,1,skip)
exten => s,3,SetVar(try=3)
exten => s,4,Wait(.5)
exten => s,5,GotoIf($["${aster}" = "1"]?ask_codice,s,1) ;
this is last
branch to failing instruction
....................................................
exten => s,6,GotoIf($["${aster}" =
"2"]?numero_verde,s,1:ask_service,s,1)
[numero_verde]
exten => s,1,Dial(zap/g1/800366466,20)
exten => s,2,Goto(verde_occupato)
exten => s,102,Goto(verde_occupato)
[verde_occupato]
exten => s,1,Playback(grazie)
exten => s,2,Hangup
[ask_codice]
exten => s,1,Wait(.5)
exten => s,2,Read(codicez,codice,1,skip) ; this is the failing instruction
...........................................................................
...................
exten => s,3,MYSQL(Connect connection localhost mydb user telelettura)
exten => s,4,MYSQL(Query resultid ${connection} Select\
lettura_precedente\,lettura_corrente\ from\ lettura_contatori\ where\
codiceutente=${codicez})
exten => s,5,MYSQL(Fetch fetchid ${resultid} precedente corrente)
exten => s,6,MYSQL(Clear ${resultid})
exten => s,7,MYSQL(Disconnect ${connection})
exten => s,8,GotoIf($["${resultid}" =
"1"]?controlla_date,s,1) ; se trovato
va a controllo data
exten => s,9,SetVar(try=${try}-1)
exten => s,10,GotoIf($[${try} = 0]?chiama_operatore,s,1:ask_codice,s,1) ;
chiede dell'operatore

Thank you for help...

Ciao
Mauro