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The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has requested the arrest of 16 people in Italy, including university professors, researchers, teachers, as well as managers and employees of IT companies, accused of corruption and fraud with EU funds.
The investigation covers the regions of Sicily and Campania. According to EPPO prosecutors Gery Ferrara and Amelia Luise, some teachers influenced the institutions where they worked to entrust contracts for the supply of goods and services to certain IT companies. In return, they received a "fund" used to purchase mobile phones, smart TVs and computers for personal use or to give as gifts to family and friends.
The current procedure is in the preliminary interrogation phase. After its completion, the preliminary investigation judge will decide on the request for security measures.
The case stems from a 2023 investigation that led to the house arrest of Daniela Lo Verde, the principal of the Falcone school in the Zen district of Palermo, known for her anti-mafia work, as well as her deputy and an employee of the company R-Store Spa. According to the indictment, the principal embezzled funds from the school canteen and directed the purchase of electronic equipment with European funds to a store linked to the R-Store employee. In exchange, she received phones and computers for herself and her family.
The testimony of the employee of the trading company enabled prosecutors to expand the investigation and discover that the same scheme was allegedly being implemented in several university faculties and schools in Naples.
According to investigators, the R-Store company, described as constantly seeking profit and driven by the opportunities offered by the European funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) for the education sector, has gone beyond an active commercial policy. The role of teachers and researchers is considered crucial, as they directed purchases towards the company in exchange for benefits such as iPhones worth around 2,000 euros, shopping vouchers, printers and smart TVs.
In the investigative documents, prosecutors speak of a "structured system" through which public employees, professors and university assistants facilitated the award of contracts for supplies and services to the companies Informatica Commerciale SpA, R-Store SpA and Databroker.
At the center of the investigation is a company based in Naples, specialized as an Apple Premium Reseller, with over 32 points of sale in Italy and engaged in the supply of equipment and training services to schools and universities. According to the investigations, the company operated through a special team of clerks, whose coordinator is also under investigation, who maintained contacts with various public institutions to secure contracts for digital equipment and computer programs.
For a senior manager, whom investigators describe as a key figure in securing contracts of considerable value, prosecutors have requested house arrest. While the team coordinator, with a lower management role, is suspected of maintaining ties with employees on the national territory, including the main whistleblower in the case in Palermo. / Corriere Della Sera
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