The Riva Group, former owner of
the ILVA steel group, has filed a lawsuit with Lazio's regional
administrative court (TAR) to annul the government's decree
putting ILVA companies and plants up for sale, ANSA learned on
Friday.
The Riva family owned the steel group prior to a government
takeover in 2013 following a series of court orders dealing with
serious environmental problems caused by the steel maker at its
huge plant at Taranto in Puglia.
ANSA acquired a copy of the lawsuit filed in the name of
Riva Group's financial institution Riva FIRE against the Italian
government, the Environmental and Industry Ministries, the
extraordinary commissioners now managing ILVA, as well as the
company itself under special administration.
In the lawsuit Riva maintains that it managed ILVA "within
the atmospheric emissions limits" established by the Italian
Environmental Ministry in 2011.
"ILVA was managed at a loss and deprived of any industrial
prospect," the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit states that ILVA lost 2.4 billion euros under
special administration by the Italian government in 2013,
compared to private management in 2011, and that the
government's administration led to the company's insolvency.
A court in January this year declared ILVA insolvent, with
debt totalling nearly three billion euros.
"From the time of his appointment, Commissioner Gnudi has
shown that he considers the sale of the business the only
possible result of the procedure," the lawsuit reads.
Gnudi, formerly an ILVA sub-commissioner, was named to the
position of extraordinary commissioner in January along with
Enrico Laghi and Corrado Carrubba.
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