Salerno, fraud in the area of the social plan: 15 investigated. Operation “Nottingham” by the Guardia di Finanza Salerno: searches and seizures for over 300 thousand euros carried out
By order of this Public Prosecutor's Office, the Guardia di Finanza of the Provincial Command of Salerno has executed a preventive seizure order, aimed at confiscation by equivalent, against 15 subjects including project managers, social cooperatives and promotion companies, within the resources deriving from the Structural Funds of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies.
Under the coordination of this Judicial Authority, the financial police of the Compagnia di Vallo della Lucania have carried out specific investigations aimed, among other things, at analyzing the expenses incurred by the office of the S/8 Area Plan within the scope of the “Rei Project” (inclusion income), which provided for the “school and extra-school educational support service” aimed at minors belonging to families benefiting from the aforementioned support measure, and who live in conditions of social risk.
The investigations, which lasted almost two years, revealed how the sums allocated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies for the social-welfare project were squandered due to the mismanagement of those responsible for the Planning office.
Thanks to a detailed and timely activity, the Vallesi Yellow Flames discovered the various illicit conducts carried out by the suspects.
First of all, it was discovered that false documentation had been presented to obtain recognition of promotional expenses never incurred, for over 115 thousand euros, by a company responsible for IT and advertising services.
In fact, before its launch, the project envisaged a strong media promotion of the service offered to families, aimed at expanding the number of beneficiaries; something that never actually happened, and so only 97 of the 340 families established by the program benefited from the assistance.
Subsequently, it was discovered that a manager and some employees of the planning office had signed false "time sheets" (registers of the activities carried out) summarizing the hours worked, which allowed them to obtain compensation significantly higher than that due.
Finally, the military discovered the presentation of fake certificates of services provided to needy families, through which the social cooperatives responsible for social assistance services requested, and obtained, undue compensation of approximately 100 thousand euros.
And in fact, the unaware parents of the minors indicated as beneficiaries of the project, heard by the Finance Police during numerous hearings, have, some, disavowed their own signatures placed in the subscriptions, others, declared that the support activities accounted for in the name of their children had never been carried out.
In order to ensure the recovery of the sums unduly received, the GIP of the Court at the headquarters, at the request of this Prosecutor's Office, has therefore ordered the preventive seizure aimed at direct confiscation and/or equivalent for a total amount of over 300.000 euros, allowing the precaution of financial resources, movable and immovable.
Article published on 18 October 2022 - 12:00
