Chiara Nava A new legal case has emerged for Daniela Santanchè , a senator for the Brothers of Italy party and former Minister of Tourism. The Milan Prosecutor's Office has requested indictments for her and 14 other individuals , as well as a company, as part of the investigation into the bankruptcy of several organic food companies. The charges include fraudulent bankruptcy, false accounting, and aggravated fraud against the state.
The investigation concerns the companies Ki Group, Ki Group Holding, Bioera, and Umbria Srl . The request, submitted by public prosecutors Luigi Luzi and Guido Schininà, with the involvement of deputy prosecutor Roberto Pellicano, must now be examined by the preliminary hearing judge, who will decide whether to order a trial. The investigation, conducted by the Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, was concluded in mid-July.
Daniela Santanchè: the bankruptcy of companies and disputed dividends
Those involved include, in addition to Santanchè, her ex-partner Canio Mazzaro, her sister Fiorenza, and her son Lorenzo , along with others. One of the main strands of the investigation concerns Ki Group Holding , whose bankruptcy, according to the Prosecutor's Office's reconstruction, was caused by fraud or malicious operations.
Among the disputed elements is the entry in the balance sheet of an alleged fictitious capital gain of nearly €12 million . Investigators also reconstructed a situation of financial difficulty accompanied, according to the prosecution, by systematic failure to pay tax and social security obligations.
Another aspect concerns the distribution of dividends during the corporate crisis. In 2015, according to the allegations, over €4 million was distributed , despite the company's consolidated net loss of nearly €1 million.
Investigators are also focusing their attention on Bioera : between 2018 and 2023, directors were allegedly paid disproportionate compensation, amounting to a total of more than €2,1 million. A judge will evaluate the evidence gathered and determine any individual liability.
Covid funds and the hypothesis of aggravated fraud
The charges also include alleged aggravated fraud against the State , linked to access to the economic support measures introduced during the pandemic.
According to the prosecution's allegations, Ki Group Srl obtained a €2,7 million loan from Invitalia through "tricks and deception," misleading the agency managing public resources. The company is also accused of having benefited from a €600 tax credit , in violation, according to investigators, of the rules for accessing the incentive.
This case follows other proceedings involving Santanchè in Milan . Among these is one regarding alleged irregularities in the use of redundancy funds during the Covid emergency , which alleges fraud against INPS. The former minister is also involved in the false accounting proceedings relating to Bioera , which constitutes a separate legal strand.
The preliminary hearing judge will now have to determine whether there are grounds to bring Santanchè and the other individuals involved in the new request to trial. The Prosecutor's Office's move does not amount to a conviction: the charges remain allegations, and responsibility must be determined in the appropriate courts, respecting the presumption of innocence.