Finance police on Tuesday raided
the officers in Italy of ArcelorMittal and seized evidence in
relation to probes into the steel giant's controversial bid to
back out of a contract to take over the former ILVA group.
The case has rocked Premier Giuseppe Conte's government and
raised fears about the economic impact of the possible closure
of the ex-ILVA group, including its troubled huge plant in the
southern city of Taranto.
On Monday ArcelorMittal suspended the procedure to turn off
the altoforno 2 furnace at the Taranto plant, pending a ruling
in Milan about whether the French-Indian multinational's
withdrawal plan is legal.
ArcelorMittal said it was cooperating with the
investigations.
The Milan probe is looking into alleged false communications
to the market, asset stripping and failure to declare earnings.
A probe in Taranto is examining various aspects of the case,
including issues regarding the acquisition of raw materials and
the sale of end products.
Conte on Friday vowed to stop ArcelorMittal's pullout,
saying the company is breaching a contract.
The multinational has cited the lifting of a penal shield
against prosecution for a cleanup of the highly polluting works
in the Puglia city as a reason for the pullout.
The plant's emissions have been linked to years of higher
than normal cancer rates in Taranto.
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