285 managed to obtain citizenship income , even if they have resided in Italy for less than 10 years, "extracting" over 2.3 million euros from the State. It happened in Naples, where a major investigation by the Finance Department revealed the mechanism that today led to 6 arrests, four in prison and two under house arrest. The alleged members of a criminal association based in the Neapolitan capital who allegedly helped non-EU citizens obtain the money are in trouble.
The crimes contested are, for various reasons, those of criminal association, aggravated fraud to obtain public funds, usury, extortion, abusive financial activity and self-laundering.
The people who benefited from the income would have declared that they had resided in Italy for at least ten years, lying. They made simulated purchases of food with Postepay cards and then had the sum paid returned in cash : the gang was entitled to a share varying between 10 and 20 percent, with which they then bought houses to be registered in the name of their respective wives. The mechanism involved the use of false invoices issued by a company that was actually not operational.
(Unioneonline/vf)
