the accusation of a witness – Corriere.it

Documents, testimonies, stories. The world of Soumahoro emerges from the investigation papers. And it is not supportive and transparent. The Ivorian trade unionist, elected to the Chamber on the lists of the Italian Left and Verdi, in tears, claimed his battle on social media “for the rights of exploited workers”. And he has promised to “be the first to fight and strike” alongside the workers of the reception cooperatives run by his mother-in-law and his wife, if it is ascertained that they too have been. The deputy seems to shy away from the comparison expected this morning with the leaders Nicola Fratoianni and Angelo Bonelli, who in any case announces: «It will not be suspended, politics makes politics the judiciary the judiciary. But there are instead those who accuse: «He was there, he was carrying the shopping. It was his family. He knew what was going on in there.”

The witness

Youssef Kadmiri, 42, is an engineer born in Marrakesh and does not speak from hearsay. He is a witness and a victim of that exploitation. And he tells the Courier something far more serious than what transpired. He says he was paid “twice in two years”. Less than what was agreed: “a total of 6 thousand euros”. Without a contract, as did other colleagues of his, some of whom received “wire transfers from Rwanda”. «I was a social worker, I translated the kids who came from Libya, Albania, Bangladesh, Morocco. But then I also did maintenance. I watch them at night. The time wasn’t right. Many times I asked for the contract, always apologies. And the salary of 1000-1200 euros did not arrive. We said “I’m sorry”. But I had to pay the rent. After 6 months I had 3000 euros. Then nothing. For a year and a half. Then only another 3000». «The “capa” was Soumahoro’s mother-in-law. But he came we saw him often. She brought food.’ But above all Yuseff accuses: the minors who were in the structure were kept in a “serious situation: they were given little to eat and did not give them pocket money”, the 35 euro per diem that the law assigns them for personal expenses. “They were always hungry. Now they’re in other structures, they give them clothes, they take them to the hospital if they’re sick, they have electricity and water, it’s not like it was there. And everyone knew».

The minutes

It will be the investigation, conducted by the Guardia di Finanza, to clarify every aspect of this affair. But the evidence that workers were taken advantage of is already in black and white. In a report from the prefecture of Latina, four workers of the Aid company are recognized as having paid the salary that the cooperative should have paid but had not done so: «We will proceed to activate the replacement intervention pursuant to article 30 paragraph 6 of Legislative Decree 50/2016″. A formal acknowledgment that the cooperative was in default of the four employees. And, despite the written invitation to provide, he had not paid the salaries due. And in that case, according to the law, the prefecture itself had done it.