Former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema and former MPS bank president Alessandro Profumo have been investigated by Naples prosecutors for allegedly selling military ships and planes worth more than 4 billion euros to Colombia in early 2022.
On Tuesday morning, police in the southern Italian city conducted searches of all suspects including Giuseppe Gordo, former general manager of defense industry giant Fincantieri. Also listed in the international corruption investigation is Marta Lucia Ramirez, former foreign minister and vice president of Colombia.
The crimes charged include international bribery, aggravated by the fact that the transaction was allegedly committed with the help of an organized criminal group active in several states, including Italy, the U.S., and Colombia.
According to the Naples prosecutor’s office, the individuals acted as promoters in “selling products of Italian companies with public participation Leonardo to the government of Colombia”. Military equipment includes M 346 planes and Corvettes submarines.
D’Alema’s lawyer, Gianluca Luongo, said the former leftist premier has shown the “utmost cooperation to the judicial authorities” and that the criminal charges against him are totally unfounded.
