by ANSA
The Prevention Measures Section of the Court of Milan has ordered the judicial administration for a Milanese investment bankBanca Progetto, for having granted loans, as ascertained by the investigations of the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Gdf and of the prosecutor Paolo Storari, to companies linked to the ‘Ndrangheta for over 10 million euros.
Financing guaranteed by the fund for small and medium-sized enterprises, therefore “state aid to support the economy in the Covid emergency” or “following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”.
The analysis of the “banking files”, we read in a note from the Milan prosecutor Marcello Viola, “has made it possible to ascertain how the intermediary”, i.e. Banca Progetto, “often circumventing the principles of anti-money laundering legislationhas provided loans backed by a state guarantee in favor of companies fully involved in criminal dynamics, as they are the object of the contestation of the crime of fraudulent transfer of values, in some cases committed with the aggravating circumstance of the mafia method, consisting in the facilitation of the ‘local’ of ‘ndrangheta di Legnano/Lonate Pozzolo”, province of Varese.
The investigations, conducted by the GICO of the PEF unit of the Milanese GDF and coordinated by the DDA, led by Marcello Viola and Alessandra Dolci, highlighted “various critical issues regarding the operations of the credit institutionwith regard to the dangers of permeability of the same in relation to relationships with subjects under investigation for serious crimes or recipients of personal/property prevention measures”. The judicial administration provision, arranged on the basis of the “Anti-Mafia Code”, was carried out today by the Gdf. And “is the result of broader investigations” aimed at “deepening the relationships between the financial institution and subjects linked to ‘Ndrangheta cliques”.
It has been established, explains the Prosecutor’s Office, “how several companies indirectly managed by subjects close to exponents” of the ‘ndrangheta have “benefited over the years from financing provided” by Banca Progetto “cwith assistance of state guarantees provided by the Central Guarantee Fund in favor of SMEs of Mediocredito Centrale (Law 662/1996), thus accessing state aid to support the economy in the Covid-19 emergency rather than following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”.
