Justice

From Giancarlo Tancredi to Manfredi Catella, who are the protagonists of the Milan investigation

The investigation concerns possible favours and utility exchanges in the Milanese urban planning sector, involving architects, councillors and builders. Portraits of those involved

by Silvia Martelli

Una combo di Giancarlo Tancredi (S), assessore alla Rigenerazione urbana del Comune di Milano e Manfredi Catella, fondatore e ceo del gruppo Coima (Ansa/Mourad Balti Touati/Matteo Corner)

3' min read

3' min read

After three years of investigations, searches, listening and analysis of documents, today, 16 July 2025, the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office requested house arrest for councillor Giancarlo Tancredi and businessman Manfredi Catella, founder and ceo of the Coima group. Another four requests concern pre-trial detention in prison. Here are the addressees of the six measures.

Giancarlo Tancredi, the councillor at the centre of the storm

A well-known name in Milanese politics, Tancredi is now councillor for Urban Regeneration in the city council. He has been placed under house arrest. A former technical manager of the municipality, he has for years been considered one of the directors of the city's urban transformation, having closely followed major operations such as CityLife and Porta Romana.

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According to the investigators, Tancredi allegedly favoured certain authorisation procedures for real estate projects linked to private operators clearly identified in the investigation. His role as an interface between the administration and the business world places him at the centre of the alleged 'system'.

Manfredi Catella, the skyline builder

A visionary entrepreneur and one of the protagonists of 21st century Milanese town planning, Catella is the founder and ceo of Coima, a real estate investment and development company. His company is responsible for the Porta Nuova project, including the famous Library of Trees, as well as the redevelopment of the Scalo di Porta Romana, today the site of the future Olympic Village.

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, Catella is accused of a system of privileged relations with public officials to obtain preferential lanes in projects. A house arrest was requested for him. The measure was notified while he was leaving for a planned trip. Searches covered Coima offices and personal communications.

Andrea Bezziccheri, the up-and-coming entrepreneur

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Born in 1971, founder of the Bluestone company, Andrea Bezziccheri is among the emerging names in Milanese real estate. His signature is linked to projects such as the Park Tower in via Crescenzago and the 'Hidden Garden' complex in Piazza Aspromonte. Already under investigation in other dossiers opened by the same public prosecutor's office, in this part of the enquiry the investigators hypothesise a dense network of relations that would have allowed some projects to go ahead despite doubts about intended uses and implementation plans. A precautionary measure in prison was requested for Bezziccheri.

Giuseppe Marinoni, the former guarantor of the landscape

A long-time architect, Marinoni was chairman of Milan's Landscape Commission. His task was to assess the aesthetic and landscape quality of building interventions, offering technical opinions on urban compatibility. According to the investigation, he allegedly performed his role impartially, favouring certain projects in exchange for quid pro quos, the exact nature of which has yet to be clarified. Marinoni, who signed opinions on several projects now under investigation, is among the recipients of the precautionary measure in prison.

Alessandro Scandurra, the institutional architect

Another former member of the Landscape Commission, Scandurra is a well-known name in contemporary Milanese architecture. His technical profile goes hand in hand with an institutional activity that has often seen him in key roles in the evaluation of complex projects. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, he has also facilitated some authorisation steps in suspicious contexts, where the boundaries between public interest and private interests are blurred.

Federico Pella, the designer of the San Siro Thermal Baths

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Architect and partner in the integrated design company J+S, Pella has participated in numerous urban regeneration initiatives. Among the most significant is the redevelopment of the former Scuderie de Montel in San Siro, transformed into the 'Terme de Montel' project, winner of the international Reinventing Cities competition. His involvement in the investigation concerns alleged privileged relations in the management of proceedings, particularly for building practices promoted by companies linked to consortia.

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