A Milan judge has confirmed most of the Public Prosecutor’s indictment in a far-reaching corruption case linked to urban planning and real estate approvals. Six central suspects now face pre-trial detention, with charges including corruption, forgery, and, in one case, conspiracy to corrupt.
Judge Mattia Fiorentini ordered house arrest for five individuals: Giancarlo Tancredi, former councillor; Manfredi Catella, CEO of Coima; Giuseppe Marinoni, ex-chair of the Landscape Commission; and architects Alessandro Scandurra and Federico Pella. The judge rejected the prosecution’s request for prison for the latter three.
However, Andrea Bezziccheri, managing director of Bluestone, has been sent to prison. Prosecutors are reportedly preparing a wider probe into foreign funds behind Bluestone. These funds are suspected of financing illicit payments to members of the Landscape Commission.
The charges relate primarily to the misuse of conflict-of-interest declarations, bribes disguised as consultancy fees, and manipulation of city planning decisions. In Tancredi’s case, prosecutors accuse him not of personal enrichment, but of enabling others to benefit within what the judge describes as a “consolidated system of corruption.”
Judge Fiorentini’s detention order details a network where public and private interests became “intermingled,” allowing major real estate developers to gain insider knowledge and influence planning decisions. This allegedly occurred through undue pressure, exploitation of legal grey areas, and obscure documentation practices.
Seventy-four individuals are under investigation in total. Milan’s Landscape Commission is viewed as central to the alleged wrongdoing. Created by the former deputy mayor Ada Lucia De Cesaris, also under investigation, the commission reportedly evolved into an unofficial authorising body, bypassing the roles of the city council and mayor’s office.
The Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, remains under investigation for alleged forgery and inducement to give or promise benefits, but he is not among those currently placed under detention.
Conflicts of interest
The investigation also highlights significant conflicts of interest. Scandurra is said to have received over €2.5 million in payments between 2018 and 2024 from firms whose projects he assessed as a commission member. These include Kryalos SGR, Egidio Holding, Castello SGR, and Coima SGR. Prosecutors allege these payments were bribes masked as legitimate fees.
In their defence, both Marinoni and Scandurra argue that the rules on conflicts of interest were unclear and that they abstained from voting when they had a stake in the projects.
The controversial Torre Botanica project, involving Catella and architect Stefano Boeri, is also under scrutiny. While prosecutors claim lobbying occurred to push the project forward, no formal authorisation was granted, and a legal dispute between Coima and the city is ongoing.
While the judge excluded some corruption charges, including two episodes involving Marinoni and the ‘Pirellino’ project, the potential for repeated offences was cited as justification for pre-trial custody.
The case marks one of Milan’s largest recent corruption scandals, with further developments expected as new investigative lines open into international financing and planning irregularities.
