Twenty-two arrests between Italy and Germany, in addition to the seizure of assets for 41 million euros: it is the result of an operation by the financial police of Aosta on an alleged swindle in the energy sector which according to the accusations generated the increase in bills.
The charges of conspiracy, aggravated fraud to obtain public funds and money laundering.
The facts date back to the period 2016-2020.
The suspects in total 113.
The investigation was launched in July 2019. The alleged scam developed around the mechanism of the so-called "white certificates" (or Tee, Energy Efficiency Certificates).
The investigation was called the 'White Paper' and was conducted together with the German authorities. The precautionary measure was issued by the Turin investigating judge. The scam is based on the obligation, on the part of electricity and gas distribution companies with more than 50,000 end customers, to achieve certain energy saving objectives annually: they can fulfill their obligation by carrying out energy efficiency projects that give the right to "white certificates", or by purchasing the certificates themselves from other operators in the sector, the so-called Energy Service Companies (ESCo.). The Gestore dei Servizi Energetici Spa (Gse), a publicly owned company, recognizes both distribution companies and ESCos.an equivalent value in certificates corresponding to the energy savings deriving from the interventions carried out.
The investigation began in Saint Christophe (Aosta), where the first of the eight ESCos was discovered. ghost: with no operational structure and managed by a nominee, the company was able to unduly obtain, in the face of 26 false projects presented to the GSE, about 27,000 "white certificates", resold for a value of just over 8 million euros. In this phase, the involvement of some German companies emerged. The investigations made it possible to trace the existence of a criminal association which, from an anonymous office in Turin, managed, in addition to that of the Aosta Valley, another seven ESCos. in the provinces of Milan, Turin, Varese, Asti, Vercelli and Biella, "real empty boxes used for the sole purpose of obtaining and exchanging white certificates".
Of the illicit proceeds, amounting to over 27 million euros, 14 million were subject to laundering in Albania, Bulgaria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Malta, Principality of Monaco, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Hungary,
returning to Italy in cash to then be reinvested in financial instruments, cryptocurrencies and luxury properties including two villas in Ischia and Ventotene.