Corruption, gangmastering, poor quality concrete and issuing invoices for non-existent operations. The Gdf of Naples has notified 20 precautionary measures against entrepreneurs and public officials for the works on the Naples-Bari high speed line

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At the center of the investigation in particular are the works connected to the Naples-Cancello, Apice-Hirpinia and Frasso Telesino-Telese-San Lorenzo-Vitulano sections. According to the reconstruction of the financiers and the Neapolitan prosecutor’s office, accepted by the judge, it would be a system of corrupt relationships emerged between entrepreneurs and public officials or those in charge of public services which, due to the technical, administrative and construction site responsibilities exercised, would have facilitated certain companies in obtaining orders, in carrying out and accounting for the works, as well as in controls and payments.

In exchange for the favors granted, money and other benefits would have been paid, including sums of cash, even hidden in Christmas packages and boxes, valuable watches, mobile phones, stays, holidays and other goods and services.

A further line of investigation concerned the irregular employment and exploitation of non-EU workers. THEIn particular, the presence on the construction sites of workers of Egyptian origin subjected to particularly demanding working conditions, with long shifts, in some cases, up to 20 hours, repeated violations of rest periods, wages lower than contractual minimums and failure to comply with hygiene and safety provisions.

Another area concerns the quality of the concrete used in the works. The core drilling carried out on works not yet completed would have shown, in some cases, resistance values ​​lower than those foreseen by the project. On one occasion, values ​​of 30, 29 and 32 N/mm² were detected, which led to the works being stopped. The possible causes indicated in the investigations include the addition of water, the incorrect dosage of additives and anomalies in the preparation and transport of the concrete.

The investigations also concerned the management of excavation materials: materials in which traces of asbestos were present would have been disposed of as non-hazardous waste. Finally, a system of invoices for non-existent operations would have been reconstructed, used to create availability of cash, part of which would then have also flowed into corrupt payments.

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