Two officials from Italy’s highway agency ANAS allegedly received nearly €846,000 in bribes between 2018 and 2021, according to court papers issued on Thursday by Milan’s State Attorney’s Office.
The payments were reportedly made by the Consorzio Stabile Sis, based in Turin, for work related to a tender on the SS 340 state road near Lake Como. One of the officials is still believed to be working for ANAS, which manages the national road network.
Prosecutors are investigating the two ANAS officials on charges of corruption and auction rigging, according to sources close to the case. Earlier reports had suggested that bribes totalling €400,000 were involved. However, court documents now reveal that the payments amounted to almost double that figure.
The project in question, the “SS 340 ‘Regina’- Variante Tremezzina,” was valued at over €388million. According to the investigation, the bribes were paid on two separate occasions, leading to searches of ANAS offices in Milan and Rome on Thursday.
Stefano Liani, who served as head of ANAS’ department for planning and project execution between 2015 and 2019, allegedly received a total of €485,896 from Consorzio Stabile Sis over a three-year period. Court documents indicate that Liani is currently employed by ANAS in Tuscany.
His successor, Eutimio Mucilli, who took over responsibility for investments and construction projects in 2022, is alleged to have received more than €360,000 from the same company.
This investigation sheds light on the ongoing concerns over corruption within Italy’s public works sector, with prosecutors continuing to probe the full extent of these activities.
