Investigations on Visibilia

Inps fraud, Milan Public Prosecutor's Office asks for trial for Santanchè and her partner

The investigation into the alleged aggravated fraud against the Inps on the management of the lay-off fund during the Covid period for EUR 126,000

3 May 2024L’inchiesta sulla presunta truffa aggravata ai danni dell’Inps sulla gestione della cassa integrazione nel periodo covid

Visibilia, Santanchè: "Vado avanti tranquilla, non partecipo a processi mediatici"

4' min read

Key points

Investigations of the "Visibilia package"
Present Irregularity on Layoffs
Employee testimonials
Counterfeiting charges in parallel investigation
Schlein: Meloni has respect, demand Santanché resignation
Spokeswoman Santanchè: Schlein doesn't get one right
Salvini, we are not asking for Santanchè's resignation
Conte: Meloni with Santanchè could do as with Sgarbi
Tajani: no government embarrassment
Preliminary hearing after the elections

4' min read

The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office requested the committal for trial of Daniela Santanchè and two other people, including the Tourism Minister's Dimitri Kunz partner, and two companies in the caso Visibilia on the alleged aggravated fraud against the Inps on the management of the redundancy fund in the covid period.

Investigations from the 'Visibilia package'

The request for trial follows the closure of the investigation on this tranche of the "Visibilia package" that had arrived on 22 March. Like the notice of conclusion of investigations, the indictment request concerns, in addition to the FdI Senator and Minister of Tourism, Comrade Kunz and Paolo Giuseppe Concordia, external collaborator with personnel management functions at Visibilia Editore and Visibilia Concessionaria, as well as the two companies themselves.

Presumed irregularities in the redundancy fund

According to the indictment, not only during that period, from '31 May 2020 to 28 February 2022', the administrators of Visibilia Editore and Concessionaria, i.e. the decision-makers, were Santanchè and Kunz, but both of them, together with Concordia, were allegedly aware of having 'unduly' applied for and obtained, for a total of 13 employees, the 'cassa integrazione in deroga' (unemployment benefit fund) 'to support companies affected by the effects' of the Covid pandemic.

Daniela Santanchè e il compagno Dimitri Kunz (ANSA/CLAUDIO ONORATI)

Employee testimonies

The deputy Laura Pedio and prosecutors Marina Gravina and Luigi Luzi of the Public Prosecutor's Office led by Marcello Viola in their investigations took on record the words of the employees, who allegedly confirmed that the minister knew: she would have been aware that the employees were continuing to work, while the pension institute was paying over 126 thousand euro, for a total of over 20 thousand hours, 'directly to the employees or as a balance to the company'. In particular, as stated in the documents of the investigation conducted by the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Gdf, over 36 thousand euro 'in favour of Visibilia Editore', for seven employees, and almost 90 thousand euro in favour of the Concessionaire for six workers.

Santanchè, as well as the other two, are accused of having 'falsely declared' that those employees were on 'zero hours' redundancy pay, when in fact they were carrying out 'their duties' in 'smart working', like Federica Bottiglione, the former manager who triggered the investigation with her complaint. Also in the prosecutors' sights were the integrations that were allegedly given to compensate for the lower income of the Cig compared to that of the salary: a 'difference', the prosecutors write, that would have been paid with 'fake reimbursements for "expense notes"'. The only one to be questioned after the investigation was closed was Concordia.

The charge of false accounting in the parallel investigation

The FdI senator is also accused of false accounting, together with 16 other people and three companies, in the second tranche of the 'Visibilia package', which has also already been closed and for which a request for trial will be made in the coming weeks.

Schlein: Meloni has respect, ask Santanché to resign

Political reactions were immediate, with the opposition returning to the attack. 'Fratelli d'Italia,' says the Pd Elly Schlein secretary, 'is that party that expresses a minister indicted for fraud at the Inps on Covid funds, and at the same time nominates a no-vax just below Giorgia Meloni. We expect the Prime Minister to have a minimum of respect for the institutions and ask for Daniela Santanché's resignation'.

Spokesperson Santanchè: Schlein doesn't get one right

The minister's spokesman, Salvatore Tramontano, counter-attacks because 'the secretary of the PD Elly Schlein doesn't get one thing right, she talks about Santanchè being put on trial while the new/old news is only the pre-announced and predictable request for postponement by the Public Prosecutor pending the setting of the preliminary hearing; even stones know the big difference'. He added: 'She calls for respect for the institutions when she is the first to remain silent and not express solidarity in the face of the sexist insults addressed to President Meloni. It can be seen that she does not know what to attach herself to in order to recover consensus that she does not have'.

Salvini, we are not asking for Santanchè's resignation

"No, she should not resign. I leave it to you to evaluate. I am even on trial, besides remand... I am a potential convict. So she will choose. We are not asking for anyone's resignation." So said Lega League leader Matteo Salvini on the sidelines of the presentation of his book at the Bocciofila Martesana in Milan, replying to those who asked whether the minister should resign after the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office requested an indictment on the alleged aggravated fraud against the Inps over the management of the redundancy fund in the Covid period.

Conte: Meloni with Santanchè could do as with Sgarbi

M5S president Giuseppe Conte uses irony: 'Unfortunately,' he says, 'the European lists are now closed, otherwise Meloni could have had Santanchè resign as minister and run her in the European elections as they did with Sgarbi to rubbish the Italians and make fun of them.

Tajani: no government embarrassment

"The oppositions are asking for her resignation every two minutes,' retorts Forza Italia leader and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. 'There is a request, when there is a decision then we will talk about it. It does not create any embarrassment for the government. It is a matter of personal sensitivity, it will be Santanchè who will decide. I am a garantist, as I did with Decaro I don't go and get on people's nerves'.

The preliminary hearing after the elections

As for the timing of the proceedings against the Minister of Tourism, it is very unlikely that the preliminary hearing will begin before the European elections set for 8 and 9 June. The prosecutor's request for trial has gone up to the gip office and probably within a week or less, the gup will set the first hearing, which could be followed by several others spread over several weeks, before deciding whether or not to indict. It is possible that the start of the preliminary hearing will be scheduled between the end of June and July and thus before the summer recess, but also that the first hearing will be scheduled after the August recess.