The 'Caprio System' has been dismantled: 53 people are under investigation for bribes and rigged contracts in Caserta.

The Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Maria Capua Vetere has announced the closure of its investigation into 53 people involved in the so-called "Caprio system," an organization accused of corruption and bid-rigging in public procurement.

The investigation, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Anna Ida Capone, uncovered a cartel of formally separate companies, but linked to the brothers Francesco, Luigi, and Ubaldo Caprio, construction entrepreneurs originally from Casal di Principe.

According to investigators, the group aimed to illegally award public contracts in numerous municipalities in the province of Caserta, including Dragoni, Caiazzo, Santa Maria a Vico, and the capital Caserta, as well as in other areas of Campania, Molise, and Irpinia. The scheme involved rigging tenders through the corruption of public officials and the appointment of compliant tender committees, with bids rigged by companies controlled by the Caprio brothers through front men.

Those under investigation include entrepreneurs, professionals, employees, and public officials. For 32 of them, the Prosecutor's Office has requested precautionary measures, including 13 prison sentences, 16 house arrests, and three residence bans in Campania. However, Preliminary Investigations Judge Mauro Bottone rejected these requests, deeming the precautionary measures insufficient given the long period that had elapsed since the events, dating back to 2019-2023. The Prosecutor's Office has therefore appealed the decision to the Naples Review Court, awaiting a decision expected in September.

The investigation also highlighted the complicity of a Carabinieri officer serving with the Caserta Investigative Unit, who allegedly alerted the Caprios to a search in July 2022, allowing them to delete evidence from the seized phones. However, no precautionary measures were requested against him.

This case represents a severe blow to the phenomenon of bribes and rigged tenders in local public administration, with significant repercussions on transparency and legality in public procurement in the region.