On November 23 last year, after a trial of 27 hearings, the Cremonese entrepreneur Marco Melega52, had been sentenced to 10 years, 5 months and 15 days in prison for tax fraud, money laundering and two episodes of bankruptcy, and for dozens of episodes of online scams: a story of goods advertised on sottocosto-online and marashopping through campaigns on national TV and radio. Goods at advantageous prices, paid for, but never arrived or refunded.
The date of the appeal has yet to be set, but in the meantime the entrepreneur has had to deal with numerous other proceedings for tax crimes both in Cremona and in Milan, collecting acquittals even at the preliminary hearing.
In Cremona, Melega and his “right-hand man” Cristiano Visigalliwho for the main investigation had agreed to a plea deal of 4 years and six months in the preliminary hearing, placing all the responsibilities on the Cremonese entrepreneur, are back on trial for fraud.
According to the prosecution, Melega would have fired Visigalli from “Consulting srl”a company that offered major clients advertising services in exchange for goods, a company that was in the process of going bankrupt, to summarize it after three months in the “Mito” company for a duration of 20 dayscontinuing to receive the “Consulting” salary.
For the financial police, the contract and the employment at “Mito” were fictitious. Everything, according to what was testified in court by the lieutenant who had participated in the investigation, to make him obtain the Naspi, the monthly unemployment benefit as income support for workers who had an employment relationship and involuntarily lost their job. From April 2019 to June 2023 Visigalli would therefore have obtained, including some benefits, the sum of 14,691 euros.
Sparks in the courtroom among the defense lawyers Luca Angeleri and Massimo Nicoli with the lieutenant of the financial police who testified today. Those of the investigators, for the defense, would only be “conjectures without being supported by evidence”. “Since our clients are considered bad guys because of the main conviction, assumptions were made without corroboration”. “Where are the tricks and deceptions,” the lawyers asked? How can you say that the employment contract at Mito is fictitious? Has it been verified that Visigalli actually worked for that company? Who had opened the bank account?, who had relations with the Chamber of Commerce?. Melega is accused of having been the representative of Consulting and Mito, but where is the proof?”.
The two defenders therefore immediately asked the judge to acquit the two defendants even before the closing of the hearingbut the prosecutor objected, and asked to be able to hear as a witness another financier who had followed the investigation. Granted: lThe hearing was adjourned until September 13th. After the examination of the witness, the sentence will be issued.
Sara Pizzorni
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