Giovanni Toti, the president of Liguria, a region bordering France, and Paolo Emilio Signorini, the former director of the port of Genoa, were arrested this Tuesday, May 7 as part of an investigation for corruption involving other figures local. Some are suspected of links with the mafia, said the Genoa prosecutor’s office.
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Legal earthquake in Liguria, headlines the Italian press. The former right-wing MEP close to the billionaire Silvio Berlusconi is suspected of having received more than 70,000 euros from two entrepreneurs – Aldo Spinelli (ex-president of the Genoa and Livorno football clubs) and his son Roberto.
The president of the region would have promised them in return to promote their economic activities in the logistics and real estate sector. He would thus have made the commitment to “ find a solution » to transform a public beach into a private beach in their favor, to facilitate a real estate file or “to‘accelerate and approve the renewal for 30 years » of a port concession for the benefit of a company 55% controlled by the Spinelli family.
The direct entourage of the governor of Liguria, former right-hand man of Silvio Berlusconi, is also targeted by the investigation, and accused of links with the Sicilian mafia.
His chief of staff, Matteo Cozzani, is accused of “ aggravated electoral corruption “. He is suspected of having “ promoted the activity of […] Cosa Nostra “, the Sicilian mafia, seeking to buy the vote of some 400 Genoa residents from Sicilyin exchange for jobs and housing, reports our correspondent in Rome, Blandine Hugonnet.
Ten people in total are targeted by this investigation, such as Paolo Emilio Signorini, president until August 2023 of the Port Authority of Genoa, one of the main Italian ports.
Paolo Emilio Signorini, currently CEO of Iren, a company active in energy and water treatment, is accused of having favored the business of Aldo Spinelli in return for large sums of money, of ” 22 luxury stays in Monte Carlo […] for a total of 42 nights » and luxury items including a Cartier bracelet worth 7,200 euros.
These stays also included the possibility of playing at the casino as well as “ services such as massages and aesthetic treatments “. He was also promised a job paying 300,000 euros per year at the end of his mandate.
Giovanni Toti « is calm and convinced that he can explain everything “, declared his lawyer Stefano Salvi, quoted by the media, excluding his resignation. Giovanni Toti was placed under house arrest, the Genoa public prosecutor’s office also said in a press release.