the attempt to transform Giorgetti into a sponsor and “cars for politicians” – Corriere.it

Marcellus Minenna, former head of the Customs Agency during the pandemic, and current regional councilor of the Calabrian Occhiuto council, was placed under house arrest for an investigation by the Forlì prosecutor’s office into the supply of masks. Also at home Gianluca Piniformer Lega MP, no longer in office since 2018. According to the indictment, the corruption ring would have allowed Pini to obtain a millionaire contract from Ausl Romagna for the supply of medical devices (masks) in 2020, during the pandemic.

«Pines he acted in the functional perspective of seeing reconfirmed Minenna in the role of general manager of the Acustoms agency. He moved in order to solicit the participation in some important events by the Honorable Giancarlo Giorgettipresentation of the Blue Book, inauguration of the Anti-Counterfeiting House…».

Last April 21, in an order prior to the one carried out yesterday, the investigating judge of Forlì reports a series of testimonies and wiretaps from which emerges the concern of Marcello Minenna, with respect to which he had also denied the precautionary measure, of not being reconfirmed at the guide of the Customs Agency: «Pini assured that he would personally intercede with the Honorable Giorgetti (at the time, July 2020, he was not a minister, ed)”.

Reading the documents it seems that Minenna’s downfall was the anxious search for accreditation with the government parties in order not to lose the chair. He had entrusted himself to Pini, promising him favors that the magistrates have read as the price of corruption.

“I’ll talk to Giancarlo”

Giorgetti was therefore contacted to participate in the presentation of the Blue book, where Giorgetti did not go, and in the inauguration of the Anti-counterfeiting house. “In May 2021, the non-reconfirmation was assumed due to the politician’s unavailability to participate in the event”. The General Manager of Customs thus sought direct contact and then again through Pini: «But with your… authoritative… guarantee». And Pini: «I’ll talk to Giancarlo to be sure». “But Gialù, I’m in the team and Matteo (Salvini, ed) knows it, Giancarlo (Giorgetti, ed) too… I can’t understand why they treat me…”. To shed light on the matter, the investigators heard from Alessandro Canali, the lawyer who was one of Minenna’s closest collaborators: «He was very keen that Giorgetti could participate, also because Bruno Vespa came and a round table was organized with prominent figures. .. Giorgetti’s presence was greatly appreciated by Minennarepresented his accreditation with the League that he so much desired».

The favors

The general manager speaks with various «political exponents and/or high representatives of the institutions», writes the magistrate, and ensures the «givement of representative cars that were in charge of the Customs and Monopolies Agency». The fact of assigning the vehicles had been the subject, on 18 October 2022, of a note from the MEF which clearly underlined the “non-compliance of this custom” introduced by Minenna “of granting free of charge, without public auctions, even large-engined cars to political exponents and/or senior representatives of the institutions”.

The note

In a note from the judicial police dated May 4, between 2020 and 2022, Minenna assigned the cars “in violation of any reference legislation and with the sole purpose of increasing one’s personal sphere of influence over political and/or senior representatives of the institutions, handed over several cars confiscated by the Agency as if they were his personal property. Without public auctions, these assignments are “illegitimate and produce significant tax damage for the public administration”. Through his staff, Minister Giorgetti made it known that he was totally unrelated to the Pini-Minenna affair. He specified that in any case he does not need intermediaries to speak with the director of customs and participate in events. Doubt: perhaps Pini was boasting? Also because in the end Minenna didn’t get much: he left the Agency and was even arrested.

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