They pocketed the “non-repayable” covid contributions despite being convicted Mafia members. But 19 of them were discovered by the Guardia di Finanza.
Five of the defendants were reported to the Catania Public Prosecutor's Office for undue receipt of state funds, while the remaining 14 entrepreneurs were reported for the consequent payment of the administrative penalty, as the unduly collected contribution is less than 4 thousand euros.
I Financiers of the Provincial Command of the Catania Financial Police They have carried out a complex activity to protect public spending and to contrast the assets of the mafia-type organised crime, which allowed us to identify, in the whole province of Catania, a total of 19 entrepreneurs, already convicted of mafia or subjected to an anti-mafia interdiction, for having unduly received the covid contribution to support businesses and self-employed workers.
In detail, the investigations - carried out by the Economic and Financial Police Unit of Catania and by the territorial departments coordinated by the Catania Group I - involved over 20 individuals, who, during 2020 and 2021, submitted the request and obtained the “non-repayable contribution”, provided for by national legislation to promote economic recovery in the period ofepidemiological emergency and, in particular, businesses and self-employed workers who, due to the pandemic, had registered a significant drop in turnover.
The investigations carried out by the Catania Guardia di Finanza have allowed us to ascertain that 19 entrepreneurs – operating throughout the province of Catania and active in various economic sectors (catering, real estate, transport) – could not access the contribution as they had been convicted, with a final sentence, for the crime of mafia-type criminal association or, in any case, already affected by an anti-mafia interdiction.
Following the inspection activity carried out by the PEF Unit and the territorial departments of the Guardia di Finanza of Catania, 5 individuals were reported to the Public Prosecutor's Office of Catania for theundue receipt of benefits to the detriment of the State, while the remaining 14 entrepreneurs were reported for the consequent payment of the administrative fine, as the the unduly collected contribution is less than 4 thousand euros.
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The activity of the Catania Finance Police is part of the broader picture of the actions carried out by the Guardia di Finanza to combat fraud in the public spending sector and to contrast, including financial, organised crime, in order to ensure support for the correct allocation of important public resources and in favour of healthy entrepreneurship, especially in a time characterised by economic crisis linked to the pandemic emergency.
Article published on 24 June 2021 - 09:31
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