The Financiers of the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza of Rome, following the outcome of investigations delegated by the Public Prosecutor's Office, notified the guarantee notice to 82 people, including managers and employees of Finmeccanica, today Leonardo, (many of whom in the meantime retired or left the company), for aggravated embezzlement and for having carried out massive tax evasion through the fictitious location abroad of a group company for over 135 million. "Leonardo's current top management, not involved in the matter, has ensured maximum collaboration", reads a note from the Guardia di Finanza.
The investigations carried out by the Guardia di Finanza began with reports of suspicious transactions but were extended to verifying the regularity of financial flows through the verification of accounting, non-accounting and banking documentation. It has emerged that numerous executives have unduly withdrawn sums of money from the company's coffers, mostly intended for staff loans.
Between 2008 and 2014, the amount of sums allegedly embezzled by the suspects exceeds three million. The tax inspections also demonstrated the inversion of the company Finmeccanica Finance, controlled by Finmeccanica and with stated headquarters in Luxembourg, but de facto managed and administered in Italy (the company was first placed in liquidation due to corporate choice by the current management and then definitively canceled from the Luxembourg register of companies). The purpose of the location abroad was to take advantage of a more advantageous tax regime. The directors and executives of the Luxembourg company were investigated for failure to submit tax returns, for having concealed, from 2010 to 2015, taxable wealth of over 490 million, evading taxes for more than 135 million.
