Fraud in public supplies on the maritime territorial continuity contract on the Genoa-Porto Torres route: this is the criminal hypothesis that led the Navigation Safety service of the Genoa Coast Guard and the economic and financial police unit of the Genoa Guardia di Finanza to carry out the preventive seizure of three ships of the Italian Navigation Company (Cin-Tirrenia), for a total value of 64,313,897 euros. According to the prosecution, as reported in a note from the Prosecutor of the Ligurian capital, Nicola Piacente, «Cin, in the execution of the contract» with the Ministry of Transport «used some ships of its fleet that did not meet the requirements set out in international environmental legislation».

In particular, the investigations revealed that "components of the main engines and diesel generators had been tampered with, altered or replaced with non-original spare parts and, therefore, not compliant with the regulations". The operations "were concealed by means of false declarations reported in the registers or by counterfeiting the imprints of a public authentication and allowed the shipping company to keep the certifications required by the conventional sector legislation active and to avoid the arrest of navigation by the competent bodies".

The investigations were carried out mainly on board some motor vessels of the shipping company's fleet and allowed to contest various alleged irregularities and hypotheses of forgery and counterfeiting which, according to the Prosecutor's Office, «also determined the failure to observe specific clauses provided for in the contract with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport».

Today the execution of the order of the investigating judge: «Three ships were found to be the object of the order». Which however remain at sea to provide regular service. Because in the meantime «they appear to have been brought back to a regular condition that allows navigation».

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