Four agents of the Police Police of Policoro, in the province of Matera, have been suspended from service following an investigation involving them in corruption.
The investigations, conducted by the Matera Public Prosecutor's Office and several police forces, revealed a corruption system involving officers and some transport companies in the area. In exchange for money or favors, the police officers omitted to carry out roadside checks on trucks, thus facilitating the activities of the companies involved.
The investigation started from an anonymous tip and used wiretaps and telephone traffic analysis. The intercepted conversations allowed us to reconstruct a detailed picture of the illegal activities and identify other individuals involved, including entrepreneurs and colleagues of the suspended officers.
The companies involved allegedly provided the agents with gifts and favors in exchange for protection, thus violating the rules of the Ministry of the Interior's code of conduct.
The magistrates' investigations began in the summer of 2022, after a Highway Police patrol checked a truck, whose driver later reported, in an intercepted conversation, that he had paid 40 euros to the police to avoid a charge.
Subsequent investigative activities, mainly wiretaps and telephone traffic analysis, would have allowed the identification of further episodes and the extension of the investigations to numerous other subjects, including other police officers and entrepreneurs in the road haulage sector.
The wiretaps also revealed frequent contacts between the suspects and various transport companies operating in the provinces of Matera, Potenza, Cosenza, and in some neighbouring regions.
“The investigations should also highlight that some of the investigated agents maintained improper relationships with transport companies, facilitating control operations in exchange for personal favors or benefits,” reads the statement from prosecutor Alessio Coccioli.
In some cases, local companies allegedly provided gifts to officers on holidays, in violation of specific rules of the Ministry of the Interior's code of conduct. A total of 23 people were registered as suspects, including 12 public officials.
Article published on 21 October 2024 - 13:17
