Rome Incinerator Land Deal Under Scrutiny: Court of Auditors Investigates €3.5 Million Overpayment
Rome, Italy – A controversial land acquisition for Rome’s new incinerator at Santa Palomba has become the subject of an intense investigation by the Lazio Court of Auditors, which suspects a staggering €3.5 million overpayment. The probe, initiated by a complaint from former Five Star Movement mayor Virginia Raggi and municipal councillor Carla Canale, points to a potential public funds waste of approximately €3.5 million, with the land reportedly acquired for €7.5 million instead of an estimated €4 million.
The Allegations: A “Tailored” Deal?
The core of the investigation revolves around the purchase of land from two companies, For Edil srl and Immobiliare Palmiero srl. The Court of Auditors alleges that a preliminary sales agreement included an “enormous payment” of €1.35 million to For Edil srl, which investigators believe was undue and part of a larger scheme to inflate the land’s selling price.
According to the Court of Auditors, “It is therefore incontrovertible that the two private companies, Palmiero and For Edil, had agreed to conclude the sale of the Santa Palomba land to Ama spa at an exorbitant and out-of-market price, orchestrating and implementing a scheme that was easily and foreseeably discernible by Ama Spa and Rome Capital bodies.” The judicial body suggests that the actions and omissions of the implicated individuals led to “huge profits to the detriment of Ama Spa, which would otherwise not have been achievable.”
Who is Under Investigation?
The deputy accounting prosecutor for Lazio, Claudio Mori, has summoned 14 individuals to provide explanations. Among those under scrutiny are:
- Daniele Pace: Former CEO of AMA (Rome’s municipal waste management company)
- Luana Labonia and Elisabetta Ferrari: Former members of AMA’s Board of Directors
- Paolo Aielli: Former director of Participated Companies in the Capitoline (now ATAC)
- Antonio Mastrangelo: Former president of AMA’s Board of Statutory Auditors
- Maria Andreina Angrisani and Marco Desideri: Members of the same Board of Statutory Auditors
- Emiliano Limiti, Emanuele Lategano, and Cesare Ciotti: Members of the evaluation commission involved in the acquisition
These individuals have been given one month to submit their defense statements.
The Incinerator Project: A Costly Ambition
The incinerator, designed to process approximately 600,000 tons of unsorted waste, is a flagship project for the current Capitoline administration. However, the significant financial outlay and the ongoing investigation cast a shadow over its implementation.
Negligence or Intentional Misconduct?
The prosectors emphasize that AMA and the Capitoline administration allegedly demonstrated negligence. “The Prosecutor’s Office,” the documents state, “considers proven the intentional and, in other cases, extremely serious and unjustifiable disregard for the criteria of economy, efficiency, impartiality, publicity, and transparency of administrative action… as legal principles pertaining to the legitimacy of administrative action, binding and indispensable in the management of public money.”
Criminal Justice System Also Involved
The penal judiciary has also launched its own investigation into the matter, with conclusions expected soon. This parallel inquiry underscores the gravity of the allegations, which the penal magistrates are not afraid to label as potential fraud.
What’s Next?
The implicated parties now face a critical period to present their defense. The outcome of both the Court of Auditors’ investigation and the penal judiciary’s inquiry will have significant implications for the future of the incinerator project and the individuals involved. The case highlights the persistent challenges of transparency and accountability in public procurement within major urban projects in Italy.
