Rome finance police on Tuesday
searched the offices and homes of public officials and companies
over a corruption probe related to calls for tender in the
telecommunications and computer sectors by State-owned
technology company Sogei Spa , the ministries of interior and
security, the State attorney's office in the Italian capital
said on Tuesday.
The companies involved in the search operation included Digital
Value Spa and Olidata Spa.
Late on Monday, the director general of Sogei, Paolino Iorio,
was arrested together with an entrepreneur on corruption charges
as part of the investigation coordinated by Rome State
attorneys.
The two men were caught red handed by finance police while Iorio
was receiving 15,000 euros from the businessman and the money
was seized by security officials, investigative sources said.
Overall, 18 people and 14 companies are being probed on
corruption and auction rigging charges, investigative sources
said.
Finance police said the "corruption system" discovered had
"ramifications both within the ministry of the defence, as well
as in Sogei and finally in the ministry of interior", according
to court documents on the probe that led to the arrests and the
search operations carried out on Tuesday.
In wiretapped conversations involving the entrepreneur arrested
Monday together with the director general of Sogei, "contacts
emerged along with meetings" with an official who was "later
identified as an Italian Navy captain", investigators said.
The first contacts revealed that the captain, who was involved
in a contract, had asked for money and for a person to be hired
by "one of the companies managed by the entrepreneurs" involved
in the probe, according to the State attorney's documents that
led to the operation on Tuesday.
Court documents also revealed that Andrea Stroppa, 30,
considered as "Elon Musk's contact in Italy", is among those
probed by Rome prosecutor.
In particular, finance police wrote in a report quoted in the
search decree, that the Navy official under investigation, "in
learning about a project aimed at the acquisition by the
government of a satellite system" produced by Elon Musk's
Starlink, "took advantage of a meeting" on the issue to "get to
know and subsequently contact the Italian contact of the group,
Andrea Stroppa".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
