The general prosecutor’s office in Latina, south of Rome, has opened several investigations into tax evasion and the mistreatment of migrants concerning cooperatives managed by the mother-in-law of deputy Aboubakar Soumahoro.
Italy’s first black male MP suspended just a month after his election. Aboubakar Soumahoro, elected pro-migrant from the Greens-Left alliance, withdrew from his parliamentary activity on Thursday November 24 after the opening of several investigations by the Latina general prosecutor’s office. The complaints target two migrant reception cooperatives where his partner works, and which are managed by his mother-in-law.
The Karibu and Consorzio Aid cooperatives, which operate under the national protection system for asylum seekers SPRAR, are accused of providing irregular contracts, leaving employees without pay, evading taxes and letting migrants live in precarious conditions in publicly funded premises. “Investigations are ongoing” about “the use of disbursed funds, relations with the tax administration, relations with employees“Latina’s prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Reports come from several sources.public and private“, indicates the prosecution. Thirty former residents, including some minors, testified to the press and trade unions.
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Suspension of the parliamentary group
If the 42-year-old Italian-Ivorian elected official is not himself the target of the investigations, having no role in the cooperatives, these revelations tarnish the image of defender of minorities that he had forged. during his electoral campaign, wishing to put labor exploitation and discrimination at the heart of parliamentary debates.
Thursday afternoon, Aboubakar Soumahoro took the decision to suspend his activities as a deputy, pending further explanation. “It is a choice that we respect, but which was not required“said Angelo Bonelli, Nicola Fratoianni and Luana Zanella, representatives of the Green Europe-The Greens parties, saying to themselves”confident» in the fact that «the case can be clarified quickly».
Questioned in stride on the television channel A clean sweep, Aboubakar Soumahoro explained that he met his partner, Liliane Murekatete, in 2018, when the cooperative in which she worked already existed. It was only later that the deputy would have learned of the case of unpaid wages, and asked his companion to account for it: “I ask you why, cause it’s the reason for my struggles“, reported the elected official on Italian television. “The answer I received is that there have been delays in payment from the public administration, which awards the contract».
In the meantime, the chosen one has threatened to sue anyone “used his feelings to attack (him)“Allusion to one of his videos shared a few days earlier on Instagram and in particular mocked by the right-wing press. We see the deputy in tears, taking the accusers to task. “Why are you doing this to me? I have dedicated my whole life to the defense of human rights“, he asks in front of the camera. “You are afraid of my ideas, you think of burying me but you will not. I have always struggled and I will continue to struggle“, repeated this former gas station attendant, delivery man and agricultural worker.