The preliminary hearing for 53 defendants accused of criminal conspiracy to commit fraud against the State in the context of measures to support the construction sector, known as the facade bonus, for over 5 million euros on work that was never carried out or carried out by inflating the invoices, began today at the Court of Sassari. Prosecutor Lara Senatore is requesting that all the defendants be sent for trial. Six of them, building contractors, professionals and a condominium administrator, are accused of criminal conspiracy and undue receipt of public funds, in conjunction with the other 47 defendants, private property owners and other condominium administrators .
This morning, before the preliminary hearing judge Gian Paolo Piana, the defense lawyers asked that the defendants be examined or be allowed to make spontaneous statements, reserving the right to decide later whether to request any alternative procedures. For three defendants, they requested a summary trial conditional on the production of documents. The two who filed the complaint that started the investigation, father and son, asked to join the case as civil parties . A request contested by the defense, which maintains that they would not have been damaged in any way by the alleged fraud.
The investigation conducted by the Guardia di Finanza concerns renovation work on the facades of 52 buildings in Sassari and other towns in the province, for which the defendants allegedly took illicit advantage of the 90% bonus, with a related "discount on the invoice" on expenses never incurred or incurred by inflating the invoices , then collecting the tax credits. The next hearing is scheduled for January 24, when the first four defendants will be examined.
