Naples. Fraud of over one and a half million euros through the culture bonus: precautionary measure for two spouses.
The Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza of Naples has executed an order for the application of precautionary measures issued by the investigating judge of Naples for the crimes of criminal association and aggravated fraud for the obtaining of public funds, within the scope of an investigation coordinated by the second section of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, triggered following a report by the Ministry of Culture.
A fraudulent mechanism has emerged through which the owner of a computer wholesale business and his wife allegedly accepted and validated, on the dedicated platform, vouchers worth 500 euros each corresponding to the so-called 18App culture bonus and issued an invoice for the same amount, justifying it with the purchase and sale, which in reality never took place, of goods functionally intended for the spending of the bonus.
This is a voucher, intended for young people, to be spent on cinema, music and concerts, cultural events, books, museums, visits to monuments and archaeological parks, theater and dance, audiovisual publishing products, music courses, theater courses and foreign language courses, as well as subscriptions to newspapers, including in digital format.
Furthermore, the husband and wife would have received, as reimbursement, the liquidation of the entire amount of 500 euros from the Ministry of Culture, retaining for themselves a percentage oscillating around 30%.
Other people would have also taken part in the organization with the task of procuring individuals, holders of the voucher, with whom they would have shared the remaining part of its value.
The illegal activity would have allowed, through the unauthorized conversion of the public contribution into money, to obtain the reimbursement of over 3.300 18App vouchers (registered to beneficiaries residing throughout the national territory) for damages to the Ministry of Culture quantified at over 1,5 million euros.
The same order also ordered the precautionary seizure, also for an equivalent amount, of the total sum of over 1,5 million on the movable and immovable assets belonging to the defendants.
Article published on May 26, 2022 - 11:15 pm
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