Military personnel in FnV, union complaint: military prosecutor opens investigation

Rome – Members of the Armed Forces in FnV, the party founded by former General Roberto Vannacci: the Rome Military Prosecutor's Office has initiated preliminary investigations following a complaint filed by the Military Union.

The military prosecutor's office has ordered the start of investigations to verify, according to a statement signed by prosecutor Marco De Paolis, "the possible existence of facts within its strict jurisdiction relating to persons subject to military jurisdiction."

The Military Union's complaint against former General Roberto Vannacci

"The action," reads a statement from the Military Union, "is aimed at urging the Military Judicial Authority to determine whether active-duty military personnel have been charged with criminal offences for holding leadership and propaganda roles within a political movement, in open violation of the fundamental duties of loyalty, neutrality, and impartiality imposed by military law."

"We will not tolerate grey areas or institutional ambiguity," said Luca Marco Comellini, Secretary General of the Military Union. "We have denounced specific facts. Ours is not a circumstantial union criticism: it is a formal and irrevocable demand for justice. It is now up to the Military Judiciary to determine the criminal responsibility of those who have chosen to confuse their institutional role with active political activism, exploiting their uniform and rank for partisan purposes. Those who wear the uniform of the Republic must answer to its laws, not to the agendas of political movements that we believe to be incompatible with constitutional values. We will continue to monitor and protect legality with every tool at our disposal."

In its complaint, the Military Union names two non-commissioned officers representing trade unions, asking the magistrates to assess whether—including through their trade union activities—they engage in political activity within the National Future party, thus violating the duty of "neutrality" to which they are bound as military personnel. The request is to extend these investigations to any other individuals.

Vannacci's lawyer: "No crime has been committed."

According to press reports, the Military Prosecutor's Office is investigating the fact that some serving members of the military hold positions within Futuro Nazionale. The facts described do not constitute any criminal offense, either ordinary or military. Any potential issue could, at most, be raised on a disciplinary level, but certainly not on a criminal level, in the absence of a specific criminal provision.

This is according to Giorgio Carta, attorney representing General Roberto Vannacci. "In reality, no law expressly prohibits a serving soldier from holding a position within a political party," he continues.

"In any case," he concludes, "even following the most restrictive interpretation, any violation would not constitute a criminal offense without a specific criminal offense. We are therefore completely at peace and confident that the investigation will be concluded quickly with the case being closed."