Weitere Ermittlungen gegen Santanché wegen Bankrott, Zahlungsverzerrungen und staatlicher Betrügereien eingestellt

The Italian former minister Daniela Santanchè has been notified by Milan prosecutors of the conclusion of investigations into allegations of bankruptcy, false accounting, and aggravated fraud against the state. The inquiry, which involves Santanchè, 15 other individuals, and one company, centers on the collapse of several firms including Ki Group Holding, Ki Group Srl, Bioera, and Umbria Srl. The notice, signed by prosecutors Luigi Luzi and Guido Schininà, marks a step toward a potential request for trial. This represents the third legal proceeding against Santanchè, following ongoing cases related to the Visibilia affair and alleged fraud involving the INPS regarding pandemic-related unemployment benefits. The current investigation appears more complex and severe than previous ones, with multiple charges levied against her. The investigation into Ki Group Holding, a publicly traded company declared bankrupt in June 2025, focuses on its restructuring through the transfer of a business segment, leaving the parent company essentially empty. Prosecutors allege that this maneuver artificially inflated the value of assets by approximately eight million euros, transferring sixteen million liabilities to the new entity while only eleven million in assets were moved. Additionally, the company failed to pay tax debts amounting to three point three million euros, nearly a third of its total debt before bankruptcy. Dividend distributions totaling five point four million euros in 2015 and 2016 are also under scrutiny, despite claims that no profits were available for distribution. Two loans obtained from Banca Progetto in February 2020—amounting to 400,000 euros and two million euros, partially guaranteed by the central guarantee fund, are also being investigated. Prosecutors claim these funds were intended for marketing campaigns but instead funneled resources to other group companies contrary to stated purposes. For Ki Group Srl, which went bankrupt in December 2023 with a debt of around two million euros, the investigation targets false entries in financial statements for the years 2019 and 2020, particularly the inclusion of an intangible asset worth ten million euros that should have been fully written down. A fictitious capital increase through intercompany transfers is also under review. Payments made to Servizi Societari Sas, attributed to Giovanni Canio Mazzaro, are being scrutinized as allegedly fictitious consultancy fees totaling 259,000 euros paid in March 2021. Another charge involves obtaining a subsidized loan of 2.7 million euros and a tax credit of 600,000 euros from Invitalia in March 2021 through false declarations regarding compliance with regulatory requirements. Specifically, the prosecution alleges that the lack of certain qualifications was falsely certified. The investigation into the collapse of Bioera, another company in which Santanchè served as board president from 2012 to 2022, includes allegations of distributing disproportionate compensation to administrators totaling over 2.1 million euros from 2018 to 2023, despite the company's loss of capital in 2019 and subsequent negative net worth exceeding two million euros. The concealment of this loss in the 2019 financial statements is among the charges brought against Santanchè and others. Prosecutors have detailed these allegations in a 23-page document, highlighting fraudulent bankruptcy, false accounting, and aggravated fraud against the state. These charges relate to the collapses of three companies within the Bioera-Ki Group and Umbria Srl groups. Ki Group Srl is listed as both an accused party and a victim in the case, alongside the liquidators of the other three collapsed entities. Invitalia is also considered a victim in the context of the alleged state fraud. Santanchè faces additional legal challenges beyond this investigation, including the ongoing Visibilia case and the alleged INPS fraud. The conclusion of this particular investigation paves the way for a formal request for trial, adding further complexity to her legal situation. The involvement of her sister Fiorella Garnero and ex-partner Giovanni Canio Mazzaro underscores the broad scope of the investigation, implicating family members and close associates in the alleged misconduct.