The Milan prosecutor’s office on Wednesday renewed its call for Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè and other defendants to face trial over alleged false accounting. This is related to fraudulent COVID benefits tied to her former company, Visibilia.
During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors Marina Gravina and Luigi Luzi reaffirmed their case and the accusations. They also implicate Santanchè’s partner Dimitri Kunz, her former partner Canio Giovanni Mazzaro, her sister Fiorella Garnero. The case also links to other companies within the network of firms from which Santanchè has since stepped down.
Santanchè, a key figure in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, recently survived a Senate no-confidence motion. This followed allegations of unpaid suppliers, wrongful layoffs without redundancy payments, and improper receipt of COVID aid. Needless to say, the accusations sparked calls for her resignation. The 63-year-old minister, who sold her Visibilia shares upon becoming minister, has denied any wrongdoing.
She maintains her innocence and has pledged to defend her reputation if the cases proceed to court. The opposition has reiterated its demands for her resignation, stating she must certainly step down if an indictment is issued.
