A shock in the world of credit. Banca Progetto is the credit institution subject to judicial administration by the Financial Police on behalf of the Court of Milan – Section of Autonomous Preventive Measures. In the investigation of the DDA «it has been found how many companies indirectly managed by subjects close to exporters of the so-called Ndrangheta matrix have benefited over the years from financing provided by the credit institution with the help of guarantees states provided by the Central Guarantee Fund i. in favor of Mediocredito Centrale SMEs to access state aid to support the economy” during the Covid emergency or after the Russian attack against Ukraine. The intermediary, we read in the note from the prosecutor’s office, «available for loans of aided by a state guarantee in favor of companies fully involved in criminal dynamics» facilitating the local ‘ndrangheta of Legnano-Lonate Pozzolo. In recent months the bank, chaired by Massimo Capuano and led by the CEO Paolo Fiorentino, entered the plan to landed at Piazza Affari to continue the negotiations regarding the purchase of the credit institution and the transfer of ownership from the Oaktree fund – sole shareholder (99.8 %) with the Luxembourg vehicle Bpl Holdco – to the American fund Centerbridge.
The bank brings peace of mind
Banca Progetto states that «the institution is not under the administration of a commissioner and that the Bank, nor its representatives and employees, are not the subject of an investigation» and «it therefore intends to reassure its customers and stakeholders that he will continue to investigate. to work in a completely normal way through its internal organs and structures.” «In the context of criminal proceedings not related to the Bank, the provision was issued regarding alleged investigative deficiencies of 10 loans out of about 40,000 that exist – he adds the note – and it is with the aim of verifying, through the appointment of Dr. Donato Maria Pezzuto who will work alongside the Bank’s structures, the adequacy of organizational and internal control protections”. The objective, the bank specifies, is to «verify, through the appointment of Dr. Donato Maria Pezzuto who will work alongside the bank’s structures, the adequacy of organizational and internal control protections”.
The situation
The Preventive Measures Section of the Court of Milan ordered a judicial administration to the Milan investment bank, Banca Progetto, for granting financing, as confirmed by the investigations of the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Gdf and the prosecutor Paolo Storari, its companies linked to the ‘ Ndrangheta for more than 10 million euros. Funding guaranteed by the fund for small and medium-sized enterprises, so “state aid to support the economy in the Covid emergency” or “after the Russian attack against Ukraine
Avoiding anti-money laundering
With the analysis of the “bank files”, we read in a note from the Milan prosecutor Marcello Viola, “it made it possible to find out how the intermediary”, ie Banca Progetto, “frequently avoids the principles of anti-money laundering legislation , provided loans assisted by a state guarantee in favor of companies fully involved in criminal dynamics, as the subject of the dispute of the crime of fraudulent transfer of values, in some cases made with aggravated circumstances of the mafia method, which is the facilitation of the ‘ local’ of the ‘ndrangheta of Legnano/Lonate Pozzolo», the province of Varese. The investigations, launched by the GICO unit of the GDF Milanese and coordinated by the DDA, under the leadership of Marcello Viola and Alessandra Dolci, highlighted “several critical issues regarding the operations of the credit institution, in relation to the dangers associated with the permeability of the same in relation to the relationships with individuals under investigation for serious crimes or persons receiving personal/property preventive measures”. The Gdf carried out the judicial administrative action, set on the basis of the “Anti-Mafia Code”, today. And “it is the result of wider investigations” aimed at deepening “the relationships between the financial institution and the subjects linked to the ‘Ndrangheta cliques”. It has been discovered, explains the Prosecutor’s Office, “how several companies indirectly managed by subjects close to the exponents” of the ‘Ndrangheta” have benefited over the years from financing disbursed” by Banca Progetto “with the help of state guarantees provided by the Central Guarantee Fund in favor of Mediocredito Centrale SMEs (Law 662/1996), and thus access state aid to support the economy in the Covid-19 emergency rather than continuing the Russian attack against Ukraine”.
A man from the prosecutor’s office in the bank
«The words of an arrested person linked to the ‘ndrangheta clan are “symbolic”, according to the judges: “In my opinion, if Banca Progetto took my name and surname, it would do something … it would say ‘we will leave everything alone'”. The Milanese credit institution, however, would be “superficial and naive management” through financing with 10 million euros, with funds guaranteed by the State, companies attributable to that Maurizio Ponzoni in “business relations” with Vincenzo Rispoli, the historic Boss of the. Calabrian Mafia in Lombardy. Regarding this “criminal corruption” and those loans granted to companies, at least nine, linked to the ‘Ndrangheta, the Preventive Measures Section of the Milan Court ordered a judicial administration for one year, on the basis of the Code Anti-Mafia, for the banking business, born when the American fund Oaktree took over Banca Popolare Lecchese. One-of-a-kind provision against banking institutions. As decided by the judges Pendino-Cucciniello-Profeta, the professional Donato Maria Pezzuto will support the management of Banca Progetto above all to strengthen “internal control measures”. And a hearing to review the work is set for February 25.
