Sorrento mayor caught receiving bribe on hidden camera

ROME – Police are investigating Friday after the Mayor of Sorrento, Massimo Coppola, who was arrested two days prior having been caught by a hidden camera, while he was counting 6000 euros he had just received from an entrepreneur, Francesco Di Maio, who was also arrested days earlier, the Guardia di Finanza said. 

 He stands accused of following illicit practices in the awarding of a series of municipal contracts and the investigating office along with prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso accused both of them, among other things, of "undue inducement to give or promise benefits.”

The mayor's collaborator was filmed by a hidden camera that the Guardia di Finanza had placed in the bathroom of the restaurant where, during a specially organized dinner, the delivery of the alleged bribe took place.

 When they were both stopped, the financial police found 4,500 euros in the possession of the mayor and the remaining 1,500 in the possession of his collaborator.

Those six thousand euros, according to the prosecutors Giuliano Schioppi and Matteo De Micheli, in charge of the investigation, were part of a bribe for the assignment of school canteen services for the period 2023-2026, awarded to the same entrepreneur by the Municipality of Sorrento, for a total auction value of over 4.5 million euros.

 The investigation and subsequent arrest of Coppola and De Maio has led to other investigations being opened into how other companies were able to secure contracts given that accepting brides would appear to have been Coppola’s modus operandi. Many contracts were awarded to Giuseppe Razzano, parliamentary assistant and collaborator of the vice-president of the European Parliament Pina Picierno, PD. 

 According to Fatto Quotidiano, the investigation came from a complaint to the municipal anti-corruption office on Oct. 13, 2022, signed by a Sorrento politician in the majority at the time. One of the flagged cases in the report was the sudden promotion of the Sorrento Brand awarded to the promotion company “Comunicando”, which belonged to Razzano. That majority of the local contracts in the popular seaside town, include the awarding of the Demographic Services project, the supply of smart benches, the sea resource communication activities, the promotion of the Notte Bianca. The connection between Coppola and Razzano, according to the prosecutors office, seems to be one “Lello Il Sensitivo”, the nickname of Raffaele Guida, a long-time friend of Coppola. 

 According to police reports there are 22 suspects in the so called “Sorrento system”, including but not limited to Giuda, Razzano and Coppola and prosecutors were waiting to execute search warrants for the other suspects. 

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