Lsu Management in Casal di Principe, Former Mayor and Council Acquitted

The preliminary hearing judge of the Court of Naples North, Donata Di Sarno, has decreed no case to answer against the former mayor of Casal di Principe, Renato Natale, and five former members of his municipal council (Vincenzo Noviello, Antonio Schiavone, Maria Letizia, Antonio Natale and Marisa Diana).

The administrators had been involved in an investigation by the Prosecutor's Office of Naples North into the management of the Lsu (Socially Useful Workers) in service at the Municipality. The main charge, abuse of office, has lapsed since the crime was repealed by the legislation that came into force in July 2024.

Instead, 38 people remain on trial, including 34 Lsu workers and four municipal officials, accused of aggravated fraud against the State, undue receipt of public funds and false certifications. The trial for these defendants, requested by deputy prosecutor Giovanni Corona, will begin in May before single judge Vera Iaselli.

The investigation, conducted by the Carabinieri of the Casal di Principe company between 2019 and 2021, was triggered by a report from a former municipal secretary. According to investigators, the Municipality failed to clearly indicate the projects, areas and hours of employment of the Lsu, allowing them to receive undue benefits. The estimated damages for the public coffers, between INPS and the Municipality, amount to approximately 700 thousand euros.

The defendants' lawyers include Bernardo Diana, Giuseppe Stellato and Mirella Baldascino. The case raises questions about the management of public funds and the effectiveness of administrative controls, becoming a point of reference for the analysis of the Lsu system.