An immediate distancing. Who tries to re-tie the threads of the negotiation with the government, aware that the new interceptions at the basis of the ordinance with which the prosecutor of Genoa has imposed new disqualification measures for some former managers of Highways risk cutting the thread of negotiations with Cassa Depositi and the foreign funds Blackstone and Macquarie. Yesterday the board of directors of Atlantia – convened for the quarterly accounts – resolved to identify an international audit company to verify whether there are behaviors on the part of employees and former employees of some group companies that are contrary to the company’s code of ethics. And to assess disciplinary measures and claims for damages against the subjects involved in the order, including the former CEO Giovanni Castellucci for which the suspension of the 13 million severance pay is confirmed, requesting the return of the first paid installment of 3.25 million. The board reserves the right to take any liability actions against it by seeking the approval of the shareholders’ meeting.
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It is yet another attempt to erase the past to find an agreement with the government that is still considered reasonably probable to sterilize the rumors that filtered yesterday from the ministries involved, that of Transport and the Treasury, of a revocation of the concession that is still pending. A harsh indictment of the board of the parent company, 30% controlled by the Benetton family deeply divided on what to do but unanimous in condemning a foolish management, that of Castellucci, which ended up enriching everyone given the important dividends but caused damage to reputations incalculable and the almost certain exit from the capital of Autostrade per l’Italia. It is clear that the Genoa trial on the Morandi bridge will be the redde rationem on the amount of compensation that risk being incalculable if the manager’s serious breach were to be proved, that is, if it were to be proved that the viaduct collapsed due to neglect and little maintenance. the biggest question of the affair that also conditions the negotiations with the new buyers for the issue of indemnity, that is the coverage from civil damages that Atlantia does not want to grant entirely to new buyers unless recognizing a discount on the purchase price. Assessments are underway by the advisors whether the amount of the scissoring should be higher, well above the billion mentioned.
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What is certain is that the Castellucci system continued to work even after his expulsion from the Atlantia top management, given that the interceptions – dated October and November 2019 (he resigned in mid-September) – with the CEO of Air Dolomiti Jrg Eberhart to negotiate the entry of the parent company Lufthansa for the newco of Alitalia saw him in the front row. The papers read how he should have conferred on the Minister of Economic Development, Stefano Patuanelli, on the possibility that the German company could be part of the shareholding that would have determined his appointment as president of the carrier. A final, clumsy attempt, which puts the post-Castellucci in Autostrade in a bad light. The aim now is to prove otherwise. Yesterday CEO Roberto Tomasi wrote to all employees to reassure them.
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