Aquila reconstruction probe targets mayor, officials

ROME–Magistrates probing Aquila’s reconstruction interrogated municipal officials this week after the quake-stricken city’s mayor quit in a mushrooming scandal over massive bilking of public funds.

Investigators questioned four men placed under house arrest a week ago in the enquiry codenamed Do Ut Des, (I give that you might give) into bribery following the 2009 earthquake that killed 208 people in the Abruzzo region and flattened much of central Aquila.

Police identified the four suspects as Pierluigi Tancredi, director of the local health agency (ASL), his collaborator Daniela Sibilla, Vladimiro Placidi, alderman for the reconstruction of the cultural heritage, and Pasqualino Macera.

 Placidi is accused of accepting a bribe of 78,000 euros in return for helping the Steda SrL construction firm obtain contracts worth 200 million euros for contracts including improving safety procedures added at the Palazzo Carli, an administrative building at the University of Aquila.

 Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente resigned earlier this month over the scandal and also is under investigation together with deputy mayor Roberto Riga. Cialente denies any wrongdoing.

 Riga is accused of taking a bribe of 10,000 euros as a first instalment on a total kickback of 30,000. The 10,000 were paid in 500 euro notes stuffed into a bottle, according to magistrates.

  Also being interrogated is the Director of the Public Reconstruction and Patrimony of Aquila’s Municipality, Mario Di Gregorio, who also denies authorising payments to Steda