Probe reveals 30 million euros skimmed from Calabrian towns
Collection company accused of pocketing local taxes
13 December, 13:06
(ANSA) - Rome, December 13 - Italian finance police on
Friday said they had discovered a 30-million-euro fraud scheme
in the southern Italian region of Calabria that diverted paid
local taxes to e-shopping expeditions and false consulting
invoices.Investigators said local taxes that should have gone to 50 municipalities in Calabria instead went to pad the pockets of administrators of the company So.ge.fi.I Riscossione SpA (So.ge.fi.I Collections), a company that collects the IMU property tax and the Tares rubbish and city services tax on behalf of municipalities.
Of dozens that used the company's services over the 2005-2012 period, the town worst hit by the fraud was Nicotera, population 6,500, which lost 8.5 million euros, investigators said. Other towns allegedly saw 1.5-4.5 million skimmed from their coffers.
The finance police are still investigating what role public administrators may have had in permitting the loss of public funds.
