Several Sicilian regional
government officials and businessmen were arrested Wednesday in
a major graft probe.
Palermo finance police executed 24 warrants including four in
jail custody, 12 under house arrest and eight stay orders.
The functionaries and the businessmen are variously accused
of conspiracy, aggravated fraud in getting public monies,
corruption, false public statements, revealing official secrets,
and suppression and burying public acts.
Some 14 companies were seized, three based in Hungary,
Austria and Romania, worth a total of some 24 million euros.
Also seized were financial assets, goods and property worth
over 12.5 million euros.
The issuing of illegal contributions totalling some 3.5
million euros was blocked.
The investigation focused on the illicit authorisation of
farm subsidies by the Sicilian regional government.
The finance guard said there had been some 12 million euros
in illicit subsidies.
Two businessmen allegedly obtained the subsidies by issuing
fake invoices through the companies in Hungary, Austria and
Romania.
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