http://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/855
Corruption scandal tarnishes League April 4, 2012
By SOPHIE INGE
ROME
– Umberto Bossi, head of the separatist Northern League, is at the
heart of a scandal involving the alleged misuse of millions of euros
worth of party funds. The investigation, which led to the resignation of
Bossi’s “golden man,” party treasurer Francesco Belsito, is into
suspected money laundering, embezzlement and fraud within the coffers of
the party.
According to investigations being carried
out in Milan, Napoli and Reggio Calabria, money from the party accounts
was “misspent” on Bossi’s children, his wife Manuela Marrone as well as
home improvements on his villa.
Bossi has denied accusations, dismissing them as “politically motivated.”
"They want to hit the League and so they hit me," Italian news agency ANSA quoted the leader as saying.
"It seems that the election campaign has already started," he added.
Rome daily Il Messaggero quotes an unnamed
source as saying that Belsito, former undersecretary for the Ministry
of Simplification who resigned from his post as party treasurer
yesterday (Tuesday), “fed the coffers with non-accounted money and
carried out payments which also weren’t accounted for or weren’t
accounted for in a truthful way.”
Investigators are also inquiring into
possible links between Belsito and the Calabrian mafia, the ’Ndrangheta.
Belsito stands accused of supplying money to the ’Ndrangheta through
the company Effebiimmobiliare in Genova of which he and Alex Girardelli –
the son of mafia-connected Romolo Girardelli known as “the Admiral” -
were partners.
Among Belsito’s numerous suspect
operations as treasurer are transactions involving 95,000 euros and
another involving six million euros for investments in Cipro and
Tanzania. According to Messaggero, these operations were carried out
with the complicity of two business men, Stefano Bonet and Paolo Scala,
both of whom are under investigation.
Belsito is also linked to Bonet in a
parallel investigation into misuse of public party funds linked to
Siram, a multinational company involved in renewable energy and
environmental services carried out between 2010 and 2011.
According to Messaggero, Belsito is a
colourful figure with a weakness for cars with two fake degrees from
universities in London and Malta. He is said to own a Porsche which he
parks illegally in parking spaces belonging to the police.
As part of the investigation, several
League members’ homes have also been searched including Bossi’s
secretary Daniela Cantamessa and Nadia Dagrada, Helga Giordano and
Sabrina Dujany.
ANSA quoted the former Interior Minister
Roberto Maroni, the League's number two as saying that the League should
use the probe as "an opportunity to clean itself."
The Northern League, which campaigns for
the autonomy of wealthier Northern regions, was in coalition with
Berlusconi’s Freedom People party (PdL) until his resignation last
November. The Northern League has since expressed strong criticism of
Mario Monti’s non-political technocrat government.
Money from party accounts was “misspent” on Bossi’s children, his wife and on home improvements to his villa.
http://juniusonukip.blogspot.it/2012/04/ukips-efd-allies-in-fraud-scandal.html
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
UKIP's EFD allies in fraud scandal!Lega Nord treasurer Francesco Belsito is believed to have passed
electoral expense reimbursements to the family of Umberto Bossi, the
party's leader. According to the authorities in Milan, Naples and Reggio
Calabria, the 4 sons of the party leader Umberto Bossi and those of
Rosi Mauro, Bossi's personal assistant, were given the money to pay for
hotels, meals and travels. Belsito is currently being investigated for
fraud and illegally funding the party:
Also under investigation are a number of employment contracts, with OLAF apparently having been brought into the equation.
Bossi himself has a previous conviction for fraud, as well as receiving a
one year sentence for incitement to racial violence in 1998. He also
sat as an MEP as a member of UKIP"s Independence & Democracy Group
in the 2004-2009 European Parliament.
Racial violence and fraud - that seems to be the order of the day in
Farage's EFD group. But the biggest fraud of all is that perpetrated on
UKIP's member and supporters who believe that the MEPs are actually
doing something to help get the UK out of the EU. Whilst Clark gets his
knuckles rapped for - errrr - fraud, Bloom urinates in hotel lobbies and
employs his family whilst pompously denying that he - errrr - employs
his family, and Batten gives speeches to people convicted of - errrr -
fraud, UKIP members and supporters just keep on handing the cash over.
http://www.agi.it/english-version/italy/elenco-notizie/201204031012-pol-ren1017-lega_nord_treasurer_belsito_under_investigation
The new movement of ex northern league dissidents named "UNIONE PADANA ALPINA - (U.P.A.)" prepares to replace the Northern League. "L'indipendenza" is the voice of U.P.A. ( http://www.lindipendenza.com/ ) and is possible read all the news about the northern protest. The northern people are tired to pay a lot of tax for the politics casta that spend money only for own business.