Genoa Court Order: Italian Shipping Company Accused of Alleged Tampering on Ferries Used on the Porto Torres Route. Service Will Not Be Interrupted

Three ships of CIN – Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione, the former Tirrenia now controlled by the Moby group (51% owned by the Onorato family and 49% by MSC), have just been seized by the Genoa Coast Guard and the Guardia di Finanza in execution of a preventive seizure order aimed at confiscation also for equivalent amounts, issued – at the request of the Genoa Public Prosecutor’s Office – by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations of Genoa, for a total of 64,313,897.70 euros.

Fraud in public supplies

Fraud in public supplies on the maritime territorial continuity contract on the Genoa-Porto Torres route: this is the criminal hypothesis that led the Navigation Safety service of the Genoa Coast Guard and the economic and financial police unit of the Genoa Guardia di Finanza

According to the prosecution

According to the prosecution, as reported in a note from the Prosecutor of the Ligurian capital, Nicola Piacente, «(Cin-Tirrenia) in the execution of the contract» with the Ministry of Transport «used some ships of its fleet that did not meet the requirements set out in international environmental legislation».

In particular, the investigations revealed that “components of the main engines and diesel generators had been tampered with, altered or replaced with non-original spare parts and, therefore, not compliant with the regulations”.

False declarations

The operations “were concealed by means of false declarations reported in the registers or by counterfeiting the imprints of a public authentication and allowed the shipping company to keep the certifications required by the conventional sector legislation active and to avoid the arrest of navigation by the competent bodies”.

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More than ten people registered in the register of suspects

The investigations were carried out mainly on board some motor vessels of the shipping company’s fleet and allowed to contest various alleged irregularities and hypotheses of forgery and counterfeiting which, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, «also determined the failure to observe specific clauses provided for in the contract with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport»according to Il Secolo Xix, there are more than ten people registered in the register of suspects, in various capacities for the crimes of fraud in public supplies and forgery.

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The execution of the order

Today the execution of the order of the investigating judge: «Three ships were found to be the object of the order». Which however remain at sea to provide regular service. Because in the meantime «they appear to have been brought back to a regular condition that allows navigation».

Astonishment of a seizure order

“We are astonished to learn of the requests for precautionary measures and a seizure order from the Genoese Judicial Authority, which come after an investigation that began more than a year ago, during which the Company has dealt with the investigating bodies in terms of unquestionable transparency and maximum collaboration.

(Cin-Tirrenia) replied in a note.

The Company has incurred very significant expenses to accommodate all the doubts and objections raised by the Prosecutor’s Office regarding the conformity of its motor vessels to international regulations on pollution, even though it does not share them.

Precisely for these reasons, today it is difficult to understand the reasons that led to the request and issuance of such precautionary measures,” (Cin-Tirrenia) replied in a note.

Source of Image : Shipping Italy

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