The president of the region involved in an investigation linked to port concessions and electoral financing. The accusation is corruption. Among those arrested were also the CEO of Iren Paolo Emilio Signorini and the entrepreneur Aldo Spinelli. Anti-mafia requests acquisition of documents
The president of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti is under house arrest as part of an investigation by the Genoese DDA and the Financial Police. The accusation is corruption. “We are very calm,” he said in the evening as he returned to his apartment in Genoa with the over 600-page order from the Prosecutor’s Office in hand. Now he could go to his house in Ameglia, in the La Spezia area. Precautionary measures also for managers and entrepreneurs, 10 people in total. According to what is emerging, the investigation by the Ligurian Prosecutor’s Office is linked – in part – to the 2020 regional elections. Among those arrested are the CEO of Iren Paolo Emilio Signorini, the port entrepreneur Aldo Spinelli and Matteo Cozzani, head of cabinet of Toti. A seizure of 570 thousand euros was carried out against some entrepreneurs. The La Spezia prosecutor’s office also issued around ten precautionary custody orders against Cozzani for what could be considered the ‘mother’ investigation which kicked off, with the transmission of the documents, the Genoese investigation. A preventive seizure decree was also issued for crimes against the public administration, including corruption and disruption of the freedom of auctions. The Anti-Mafia requested the acquisition of the documents.
Precautionary order served on Toti in a hotel in Sanremo
The precautionary detention order under house arrest was notified by the Financial Police to governor Giovanni Toti in a hotel in Sanremo. The governor was due to attend a press conference this morning. According to what we learned, several men from the Financial Police waited for the governor, giving him time to prepare. When he got out they accompanied him outside the hotel where the school cars were located. Then in the morning the GdF began a series of searches and acquisitions in Toti’s Genoese apartment, in the presence of the governor himself. Upon leaving, Toti told the journalists present “I can’t make any statements, you know that”. His lawyer instead added: “My client is calm and intends to explain everything, he will continue to work. As we have been able to see up to this moment, these are all facts to which we can give an explanation in the context of a legitimate administration activity for the public interest”. Toti was then taken to the Guardia di Finanza barracks on Lungomare Canepa, in Genoa.
The investigating judge of Genoa: “Systematic corruption mechanism” of Toti’s conduct
According to the investigating judge of Genoa Paola Faggioni, the governor’s conduct “shows a clear systematic nature of the corruption mechanism”. On the occasion and in conjunction with the four political competitions that followed one another during the time span of the investigation (approximately 18 months) – Savona administrative elections (October 2021), Genoa administrative elections (June 2022) national political elections (September 25, 2022 ) and administrative elections of Ventimiglia and Sarzana (May 2023) -“Toti, pressured by the need to raise funds to face the electoral campaign, made his function, his powers and his role available, in favor of private interests, in exchange for financing, reiterating the mechanism with various entrepreneurs (the Spinellis and Moncada)”. In some cases, we read in the ordinance, “it was Toti himself who explicitly requested the financing, promising the private individual behaviors or measures favorable to him or even reminding him ‘that he had done his part’ and therefore to consequently expect a “hand “in view of the elections”.
The conversations between Toti and Spinelli: “Remember that I’m also waiting for a hand”
For example, the papers report a conversation on 17 September 2021 between Toti and the entrepreneur Aldo Spinelli regarding the renewal of the concession of the Bulk Terminal, in which the governor allegedly said: “Your stuff goes on the 29th… remember that I’m also waiting for a hand…huh?”. In a dialogue on 15 February 2023, Toti telephoned Spinelli to tell him “that he had just unblocked a case of interest to him in the Region and at the same time was asking him for money in view of the upcoming elections”. Toti says: “‘Look, we’ve solved the problem for your son regarding the Celle house plan… now let’s practice, it can be built… have we solved it this morning when you invite me on the boat? …what do you…now… so let’s talk a bit, now there are elections, we need a hand”.
Presidency of Liguria, Piana takes over from Toti
The president of the Liguria Region, Giovanni Toti, who has been under house arrest since this morning, is replaced pro tempore in his functions by the vice-president Alessandro Piana, pursuant to article 41 of the regional statute. “We are close to our president Toti, certain that he has always acted in the exclusive interest of Liguria”, declares Piana. “We hope that clarity will be clarified as soon as possible and that the president will be able to demonstrate his total non-involvement in the disputed facts.” “The administrative activity of the Liguria Region”, assures a note, “continues without interruption”.
see also
Corruption Liguria, watches and cash in exchange for favours: the accusations
Who are the people involved
As explained in the press release from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Genoa, District Anti-Mafia Directorate, the soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza have implemented an order for the application of personal and real precautionary measures (coercive and interdictory) issued today by the investigating judge of the Court of Genoa, at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office filed on 27 December against the president of the Liguria Region, Giovanni Toti, Paolo Emilio Signorini, former president of the Port System Authority of the Western Ligurian Sea, the entrepreneurs Aldo and Roberto Spinelli, the entrepreneur Mauro Vianello , by the director of Esselunga, Francesco Moncada; and Matteo Cozzani, chief of staff of the President of the Region. The other recipients of the ordinance are Arturo Angelo Testa and Italo Maurizio Testa, and Venanzio Maurici. Signorini, under investigation for corruption in the exercise of his role and for acts contrary to his official duties, is the recipient of a measure of precautionary custody in prison, while Toti was placed under house arrest for the same crimes.
Precautionary measures
Aldo Spinelli, an entrepreneur in the logistics and real estate sector, who was placed under house arrest, is accused of corruption against Signorini and Toti. For the entrepreneur Roberto Spinelli, who is accused of corruption against the President of the Region, the disqualification measure of a temporary ban on carrying out entrepreneurial and professional activities has been ordered. Same precautionary measure for Mauro Vianello, entrepreneur operating in the Port of Genoa, accused of corruption against Signorini; for Francesco Moncada, director of Esselunga spa, who is accused of the same crime against Toti. Matteo Cozzani, head of cabinet of the president of the Liguria region, is under house arrest for ‘electoral corruption’, aggravated by the hypothesis that the crime was committed to facilitate the activity of the Cosa Nostra mafia association, in particular of the Cammarata clan of District of Riesi with interests in Genoa. Cozzani is also under investigation for corruption in the exercise of his role. Arturo Angelo Testa and Italo Maurizio Testa, representatives of the Riesi community of Genoa, are subject to the obligation to reside in the Municipality of Boltiere, on charges of aggravated electoral corruption. The same crime is accused of Venanzio Maurici, recipient of the obligation to report to the judicial police. The publisher of Primocanale Maurizio Rossi is also under investigation as part of the investigation and is accused of illicit financing in the form of a political campaign broadcast on the television station.
Nordio: “Perplexed about the timing of the measurement”
“I don’t know the documents and as a prosecutor I always think about the presumption of innocence. I understand that these are facts that date back to a few years ago and that the investigation didn’t start today but some time ago”, said the minister of Justice Carlo Nordio regarding the Genoese investigation. And again: “I have been a public prosecutor for 40 years and I have rarely asked for precautionary protection measures after years of investigations. My doubts are never about the moment in which the precautionary measure is triggered with respect to the imminence of the elections” but “if I have any technical concerns concern a measure with respect to the time in which the crime was committed and the investigation began”.
Nordio: “Clockwork justice? I don’t like clichés”
So is it clockwork justice in Genoa? “I don’t like clichés or common feelings, I prefer to keep in mind the principle of presumption of innocence.” Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said this on the sidelines of an event in Rome. “It is not for nothing that the so-called Nordio decree provides” measures to give “the maximum guarantee to the presumption of innocence”.
see also
Corruption Liguria, from Toti to Spinelli: who are the people involved
SUBSCRIBE TO THE SKY TG24 WHATSAPP CHANNEL
