Caserta, the clique of Councilor Marzo thus steered the contracts

Caserta.

Among those arrested are the councilor for Public Works Massimiliano Marzo, the managers Franco Biondi and Giovanni Natale, the municipal employee Giuseppe Porfidia and the entrepreneur Gioacchino Rivetti.

A widespread system of corruption

The investigations revealed an alleged corruption system that involved close collaboration between municipal officials and theCouncilor March to award public contracts illegally. In some cases, contracts were “unpacked” so that they could be awarded directly to compliant firms without having to follow the tender procedures.

Benefits in exchange for contracts

In exchange for favors, construction work in their private homes, and even the payment of an insurance policy, public officials would award contracts to pre-selected firms. In some cases, construction supplies for public works were even purchased by the firm whoseCouncilor March he was a 50% partner.

Public works under the magnifying glass

The contracts under investigation concern interventions on school buildings, green areas and the municipal dog kennel, for a total value of approximately 180 thousand euros. According to the accusations, the works were started even before the relevant documents were drawn up in the Municipality and the award decisions were drawn up only afterwards. The same procedure was also used for payments to the contracting companies.

Investigations started with the new administration

The investigation began with the installation of the current municipal administration and has also brought to light a hypothesis of electoral corruption, which concerns some of the suspects but not those arrested today. According to the investigators, during the last municipal elections votes were bought in exchange for contracts and preferences, at a price of 50 euros each.

Reactions from the Municipality

The mayor of Caserta, Carlo Marino, said he had “full confidence in the work of the judiciary and the police” and stressed that “the work of the administration continues regularly”. The delegations of the managers involved were temporarily assigned to other officials and to the Secretary General. The mayor also assumed the delegations of the arrested councilor, Massimiliano Marzo, on an interim basis.

An investigation that shakes the city

The investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Maria Capua Vetere has had a strong impact on the city of Caserta and sheds a worrying light on the level of corruption within the Municipality. Further developments are expected in the coming weeks, with the possibility of new arrests and the opening of new lines of investigation.