by Enrico Oliari –
At the disposal of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the Farnesina has started inspections in the Italian embassies in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, with the aim “of – states the ministry’s statement – ascertaining possible irregularities related to the procedures relating to the issuing of visas for Italy”.
At the basis of the inspection operation, entrusted to the plenipotentiary minister Andrea Tiriticco, who is inspector general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and offices abroad, there would be complaints from several Congolese citizens of both countries who, according to the accusations, would indicate a bad situation. It all started from ainvestigation for theEspresso by Antonella Napoli, which reported the testimony of an Italian-Congolese businessman according to which there were “easy travel permits issued in exchange for bribes from complacent and unfaithful officials”, as well as a complaint from MP Andrea Di Giuseppe, member of the Foreign Affairs Commission of Chamber, for whom “we are faced with serious crimes that I have also found in other embassies. It’s a repetitive pattern, with different protagonists but the same dynamics.” Di Giuseppe also stated, again in the context of a possible visa racket, that “hor presented a complaint to the Public Prosecutor’s Office so that, following new elements to be evaluated, new investigations are carried out on the assassination of Luca Attanasio, the Italian ambassador to Congo killed together with the carabiniere Vittorio Iacovacci and the driver Mustapha Milambo on 22 February 2021″.
The Farnesina continues in its statement: “The results of the inspection, in which personnel from the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza also took part, will be the subject of a detailed report for the adoption of the necessary internal measures which will be made available to the competent authorities for any follow-up”. “The government’s objective is to combat any form of illicit entry into Italy,” declared Deputy Prime Minister Tajani, “and with this objective I have given stringent instructions to the entire diplomatic-consular network to adopt every measure to strengthen the fight against malfeasance and attempts at illegal entry into Italy, also to better defend our borders. The government, with the support of Parliament, intends to continue its commitment to giving our offices abroad the resources they need.”
“The inspection mission at the embassies of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, like those carried out last August in the embassies in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, is part of an all-round action that Deputy Prime Minister Tajani has intensified to combat and prevent illicit phenomena and to continue to improve the quality of services abroad”, concludes the ministry note.
