18 May 2008

11 - Padania the thief

Here is an extract taken from "Mani Sporche", the book published by Chiarelettere and written by Barbacetto, Gomez and Travaglio, entitled "Padania ladrona'" (Padania the thief) (pg.289).
"Bossi’s followers have a problem: Popolare Credieuronord, a small bank created in December 2000 in order to "re-establish the values that are typical of credibility, collaboration and the North". The people that financed the bank, following an all-out drive throughout all sections of the party, were the members of the Lega Nord. However, as far back as the year 2003, the “Carroccio’s” bank was already only a small step away from bankruptcy. The financial year came to an end with 8 million Euro of losses and 12 million of bad debt on 47 investments. A serious problem this, above all due to the fact that the bank was born to be the politicians’ wallet. The bank’s Board of Directors includes not only Lega Nord Undersecretaries Maurizio Balocchi (Internal affairs), Alberto Brambilla (Welfare) and Stefano Stefani (Productive Activities), but also Varese councillor Giancarlo Giorgietti, a Bossi protegè and chairman of the Chamber Treasury Committee. In other words, should the bank be declared bankrupt it would constitute a major problem for the “Carroccio”. And, should there be any form of judicial investigation, the situation would deteriorate even further. As a matter of fact, 13 million Euro were laundered through the Credieuronord bank, money that originated from a major scam set up by the owners of the once legendary Radio 101 and a certain accountant, namely Carmen Gocini, which broke a number of the rules of the Milan Court bankruptcy procedures. Billion stolen and then, as alleged by the Public Prosecutor of Milan, laundered thanks to the connivance of the operational managers of the bank. Similar operations were also performed by various people linked to the "Cobas del latte" (Milk Committee), the livestock farmers closely associated with the Lega Nord who did not want to have to pay fines established by the European Union for overproduction of milk. Were the Credieuronord bubble to burst, many people would be hurt. It would be better to cover everything up and make an attempt to patch things up. As far as members of the Lega are concerned, their saviour’s name is Fiorani.
The Carroccio has long-standing ties with this man. The Lega Nord school of the Varese region is the field of Pontida, the field that is filled with green flags each year to welcome the Senatùr, flags that were purchased with money from the Popolare di Lodi. A total of 10 million Euro between credits and financing, plus another million from the Popolare di Crema (a subsidiary of the Lodi). All of this money having been obtained by mortgaging the party’s historical Milan headquarters situated in via Bellerio. Operations that are legal, but that are nevertheless symptomatic of a preferential agreement that is now being exploited to the maximum in order to avoid the collapse of Credieuronord. Fiorani has so far managed to keep the little bank afloat by means of a complicated financial operation. In exchange, he has obtained an about turn by the Lega as regards the appointment of the Governor. On 3 February, Maroni officially announced that the Lega would no longer be disputing Fazio’s appointment for life. This constitutes the death of the law concerning savings.
It will be Fiorani that will have to stand before the Public Prosecutor of Milan in order to explain, inter alia, this latest pact with the Lega: bailing out the bank in exchange for rescuing the governor."

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Dirty Hands