There are “bribes” for fake Covid vaccinations or to obtain fake academic qualifications, in other cases the “bribes” have facilitated the awarding of contracts for waste management rather than for the construction of public works or the granting of building permits.
And then there are the investigations into political gerrymandering and those related to major public works. In the run-up to International Anti-Corruption Day, Libera has taken a snapshot of the main corruption investigations in our country this year. The snapshot paints an alarming picture: the unchecked advance of corruption in Italy.
From Turin to Avellino, from Bari to Pozzuoli, from Palermo and Catania, from Milan to Rome, 2024 is a continuous bulletin of “bribes” involving administrators, politicians, officials, managers, entrepreneurs, professionals and mafiosi involved in a vast range of corruption crimes.
From January 1 to December 1, 2024, Libera identified 48 investigations into corruption and extortion from press reports, more than four per month. 28 prosecutors' offices in 14 Italian regions were active in investigating this persistently sensitive issue. A total of 588 individuals were investigated for crimes ranging from corruption for acts contrary to official duties to vote-trading with the Mafia, from bid-rigging to extortion aggravated by Mafia methods, from abuse of office (while it was in force) to illicit influence peddling.
An analysis of the investigations, still ongoing and therefore without definitive determination of individual responsibilities, reveals a "solidly" regulated, still systemic and organized corruption, where, depending on the context, the role of guarantor of compliance with the "rules of the game" is played by different actors: the senior executive or the well-connected fixer, the "boss of the public body" or the entrepreneur with transversal contacts, the mafia boss or the "business politician."
"This," comments Francesca Rispoli, national co-president of Libera, "is certainly not an exhaustive picture, although significant. On the one hand, the "liberalization" of procurement procedures and the abolition of abuse of office have made it more difficult for the judiciary to obtain evidence;
on the other hand, the most insidious forms of corruption are today based on a formal legitimacy of public acts bent to powerful private interests, which correspond to dematerialized counterparts (favors, political support, etc.), or even formally legal, such as financing of electoral campaigns. A corruption that is now "legalized", in the face of which repressive action is now impotent."
The southern regions including the islands “lead” with 20 investigations in total, followed by those of the Centre (16) and the North (12). First in the ranking is Lazio with 10 investigations, followed by Campania with 9 investigations, Lombardy with 7, Sicily with 5 and Puglia with 4. These regions account for 74% of the investigations at a national level.
As many as 106 people under investigation are in Lazio, 82 people under investigation in Sicily, followed by the Marche with 80 people under investigation, of which 77 people under investigation in a single investigation into corruption for fake anti-covid vaccinations, 79 in Campania, from Lombardy, with 72 suspects and from Puglia, at 64. The map of the investigations and the number of suspects, for whom the presumption of innocence applies, is the result of research using agency releases, articles in national and local newspapers, institutional press reviews, press releases from the Public Prosecutor's Office and the police force as sources.
According to Libera there is a "normalized" corruption
The many investigations – concludes Libera – tell us of a corruption that is now “normalized”, which, like a true “national pathology”, fuels widespread distrust in democratic institutions, disengagement, and abstentionism.
And despite the worsening phenomenon, we are witnessing a progressive loosening of institutional checks and balances, following legislative "counter-reforms" such as the "Nordio Law," and the weakening of oversight and controls. In other words, the most favorable conditions are being created for the undisturbed, unpunished, and extremely profitable practice—thanks to the substantial funds allocated to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), major projects, and already-scheduled sporting events—of various forms of "abuse of power for private gain." Soon, in many cases, these will no longer be prosecutable as crimes by the judiciary, nor reportable as such by the press, and therefore no longer recognizable as such by the public.
Investigations into corruption in Italy
(1 January– December 1st 2024)
-
Region
Number of people
Investigate
Number
Investigations
Campania
79
9
Sicilia
82
5
Calabria
14
1
Puglia
64
4
Lazio
106
10
Sardinia
9
1
Toscana
3
1
Liguria
43
2
Emilia Romagna
5
1
Lombardia
72
7
Brands
80
2
Umbria
3
1
Piedmont
7
2
Basilicata
21
2
Total
588
48
Source: Free processing on Agency launches, articles in national and local newspapers,
institutional press reviews, press releases from the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Police Force.
In short
There are "bribes" for fake COVID vaccinations or to obtain fake academic qualifications; in other cases, the "bribes" have facilitated the awarding of contracts for waste management rather than...
- And then there are the investigations into electoral political exchanges and those relating to major works.
- As International Anti-Corruption Day approaches, Libera has taken a snapshot of the main corruption investigations in our country…
- The snapshot paints an alarming picture: the unstoppable advance of corruption in Italy.
Key questions
What is the main point of the news?
There are "bribes" for fake COVID vaccinations or to obtain fake academic qualifications; in other cases, the "bribes" have facilitated the awarding of contracts for…
Why is this news relevant?
And then there are the investigations into electoral political exchanges and those relating to major works.
Which detail helps us understand the case better?
As International Anti-Corruption Day approaches, Libera has taken a snapshot of the main corruption investigations in our country this year.
This corruption situation in Italy is very worrying, it seems that the authorities are unable to control these phenomena. There are many investigations and no real change is seen. I hope that there will be more effective measures.