Minenna’s network of favors to politicians. Porsche, Lexus and supplies unlocked – Corriere.it

The list of favors for politicians is extensive. It was used to gain credit, to consolidate, to oil. From the documents of the investigation by the Prosecutor of Forlì and the Antimafia of Bologna, which led to 34 precautionary measures, Marcello Minenna seems to have only one concern: to guarantee his confirmation as director of the Customs Agency. And to do this he used various ways, unblocking the supplies of masks stopped at customs, inviting those who count to events and even using the cars confiscated and parked in the garages of the Agency. So it happened that a car ended up with one minister, another with another and that even the Porsche got away, which of course has a certain effect. “You know that I also have an excellent relationship with Massimo Garavaglia – he chats on the phone with Gianluca Pini, the entrepreneur and former Lega parliamentarian who ended up in prison in Ravenna – I’m giving him a hand in building his secretariat, I also gave him the service car, one of those seized».

The names

The investigators verify the circumstance with Alessandro Canali, Minenna’s first hour collaborator, and a world opens up there. “Always with a view to gaining accreditation with the League, I know that, at his express disposition, he was given a Lexus and other cars were given to Brunetta and other current ministers,” Canali declares. Massimo Garavaglia, former Minister of Tourism, Renato Brunetta, former Minister of Public Administration, other members of the government. Brunetta, now president of Cnel, sighs: «But it’s the car of my escort, a white half-SUV, which was given to the Carabinieri and is driven by them, not me. This of the confiscated cars is a consolidated practice and for me also a virtuous one. Because they are either sold or used, but if they are sold, the takings are negligible».

“Cancel the cars”

The investigating judge of Forlì, Massimo de Paoli, thinks differently, who in the order refers to a note by Glauco Zaccardi, head of the Legislative Office of the Ministry of Finance and ordinary magistrate of the Court of Appeal of Rome. «For Zaccardi, the “management” of cars confiscated and granted to political exponents and to high offices and institutions violates the law». Minenna was forced to cancel all the car assignments already placed. He will be heard by the magistrate next Thursday on this and the other charges. “He used the cars as if they were his property … excluding the possibility of the owner to get them back”. The lawyer Roberto D’Atri, who defends Minenna, rises up: «Surreal history: we are not dealing with seized but confiscated cars, acquired as state assets. What was he supposed to do? Leave them to rot in the garage? Where is the negative value?». On the other hand, the ex-minister of the Economy Vincenzo Visco is surprised by Minenna’s choices. “Enzo, I’m trying to weave alliances with all the parties,” Minenna confided to him on the phone. «I understand, the distribution of cars… that is, but did you really have to give him a Porsche?». «Enzo, everyone chooses the car they want».

The network of complicity

Beyond Minenna, the Forlì investigation brought to light Pini’s network of complicity: policemen, carabinieri, employees of the Prefecture, businessmen. The target? I earn. “In contempt of public health,” concludes the investigating judge. «Have you seen the bag?», asks his friend Gianluca Fiore. “What’s this?”. «Sterile envelope for masks». «What the f… are you doing with it? It costs more than masks, are you kidding me? Do you know the price they shoot me? Do you want to make the money or do you want to throw it away?». When questioned by the investigating judge, he rejected all accusations: “The masks were nowhere to be found, he made a framework agreement, the Ausl ascertained and only later it was discovered that they were incongruous”

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