The Guardia di Finanza is carrying out a series of searches, also in Capitol Hill, as part of an investigation by the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office into corruption, bid-rigging and fraud in public supplies in the context of contracts for the resurfacing of the road and which would also concern funds for the Jubilee. The searches would concern in particular the offices of the Department of Public Works of the Municipality of Rome in via Petroselli where documents were acquired. Among the suspects there are six officials: four from the Municipality, one from Astral and two traffic policemen.
The Guardia di Finanza investigation
The investigators are apparently looking into a round of bribes that an entrepreneur paid to public officials for “pilot” a series of tenders for road maintenance work. The work was allegedly awarded using illegal procedures. The Courier reports that the company carried out the work using poor quality materials or saving on the thickness of the asphalt mat laid on the surface, so that the potholes reappeared with the first rain or after a few days' wear.
At the centre of the investigation is the entrepreneur Mirko Pellegrini, who, according to investigators, would have formed a criminal association aimed at committing crimes - disturbed freedom of auctions, fraud in public supplies, corruption, money laundering and self-laundering - among other things aimed at illegally pursuing contracts for asphalting works from Rome Capital and other public bodies. Furthermore, it is assumed that he also obtained orders "through the creation of false accounting documentation".
According to the Guardia di Finanza, Corriere writes, “Pellegrini allegedly committed fraud in the public procurement of contracts concluded with Rome Capital and other public bodies - for example in Via della Serenissima, Via della Magliana and Piazzale De Bosis -, by fraudulently failing to comply with the contractual obligations provided for and “putting into effect deceptive devices to make the execution of the contract appear compliant with the obligations undertaken, with particular reference to the thickness of the asphalt surface and the quality of the material used”.
The searches also concern the registered office and a branch of a bank.
