A corruption investigation into rigged tenders for construction and maintenance prison contracts has prompted searches across Italy, the Milan Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Wednesday.
At the centre of the inquiry is an engineer employed by the Regional Office for Lombardy – Department for Penitentiary Administration. He is under investigation for his role as designer and works director for several prison contracts in northern Italy.
The Guardia di Finanza’s Economic and Financial Police Unit in Milan is carrying out searches and seizing documents at multiple locations nationwide. The investigation, led by prosecutors Giovanna Cavalleri and Giancarla Serafini, focuses on alleged offences including bid-rigging, ideological forgery, and corruption.
Three individuals are currently under investigation: the engineer, a former official from the Lombardy Regional Office, and the legal representative of a private company alleged to have received contracts in exchange for bribes.
The probe involves four prison facilities located across the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. Investigators suspect systematic manipulation of public tenders to favour a specific company, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in public infrastructure spending.
The case adds to mounting scrutiny over corruption in public works and penitentiary administration, with wider implications for public trust in the justice system.
