Guardia di Finanza searches homes and premises in Andria, Bari and Lecce

This morning, the Financiers of the Provincial Command of Bari executed in Andria, Lecce, Bari and its Province, a home and local search decree against two people residing in the capital of Bari and some entities attributable to them, issued by the European Prosecutor’s Office – Rome office.

The recipients of the provision are under investigation – together with another subject – (assessment carried out in the preliminary investigation phase which requires subsequent procedural verification in the cross-examination with the defence) for the criminal cases of aggravated fraud for the obtaining of public funds and the issuing of invoices for non-existent operations, for facts committed in Bari from 2019 to 2022. Today’s operation is part of a complex investigation activity, coordinated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office – delegated to the Economic-Financial Police Unit of the Financial Police of Bari – which , according to the accusatory approach (currently, without prejudice to the evaluation in the subsequent phases with the contribution of the defence), revealed the existence of serious indications of crime in relation to the activities carried out by associations (which are responsible for the profiles of administrative responsibility of the entities), with registered office in the capital and various local units in the Apulian territory, attributable to the two aforementioned suspects, involved in the sector of professional training, the fight against unemployment and the inclusion of young people in the world of work and education, beneficiaries of community contributions paid under the “Youth Guarantee” programme.

This investigative activity constitutes an important testimony of the constant commitment made by the Guardia di Finanza – in synergy with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office – to protect the Union’s financial interests, in a sector which sees the Corps as a privileged interlocutor due to its police duties economic-financial to oversee the budget of the State, the Regions, local authorities and the European Union. The criminal case is pending at the preliminary investigation stage and the persons under investigation cannot be considered guilty until a final conviction has been pronounced.