Luxury cars, designer handbags, exclusive trips and watches worth tens of thousands of euros : this is how public funds intended for social assistance were supposedly spent.

An investigation by the Guardia di Finanza and the Carabinieri led to the seizure of assets worth 1.79 million euros and brought to light an alleged million-dollar scam that, according to investigators, would have transformed a social cooperative into a real private business.

Yesterday, the military executed a precautionary seizure order issued by the Court of Cagliari against four people , all residents between Cagliari and Quartu . They are administrators and councilors of a cooperative operating in the social-assistance services sector, accused of having set up a sophisticated fraud system to secure public funding intended for essential services for the community.

According to the investigations, the suspects allegedly altered the normal course of tenders in Southern Sardinia for the provision of social services and home care, falsifying the legal nature of their cooperative . The company, presented as a non-profit organization, was in reality a machine for generating private profits, illegally accumulating approximately 10 million euros.

To give a semblance of legality to the funds received, the group allegedly used a network of false invoices issued by compliant companies , allowing the money to be diverted into personal expenses and luxury investments.

While on paper the cooperative was supposed to assist vulnerable people and provide essential services, in reality public funds were used to finance luxury car rentals, gourmet lunches, exclusive trips and purchases of prestigious goods. During the searches, law enforcement found and seized: 24 luxury watches, including an Audemars Piguet worth over 50,000 euros; 150,000 euros in cash; 23 designer bags and other valuable items.

The seizure is continuing with the acquisition of registered real estate and personal property, until reaching the contested sum of 1,791,164.59 euros .

If the standard of living of the defendants was that of a jet set, the condition of the cooperative's workers tells another story: low salaries, employees without the necessary qualifications and working conditions far from the industry standards.

The criminal hypotheses brought against the suspects are serious: fraud against the State, aggravated fraud for the obtaining of public funds and self-laundering. The cooperative is also formally investigated for administrative liability.

Investigations are continuing to clarify any further responsibilities and delve deeper into the business behind the alleged fraud.

(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)

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