The mayor of Venice and owner of Umana Reyer Venezia, Luigi Brugnaro, is one of the municipality officers currently under investigation, the Italian News Agency (ANSA) reports . The mayor of Venice is accused of corruption, money laundering and false invoicing.
The case is said to concern the negotiations for the sale of an area overlooking a Venice lagoon area to the entrepreneur Chiat Kwong Ching from Singapore. The are is heavily polluted by the Marghera works that was purchased by Brugnaro (not yet engaged in political activities at the time) in 2006, for about 5 million euros. The investigations revolve around the blind trust that manages Brugnaro's assets.
Boraso's home was also searched. 18 people are involved in the investigation, in various capacities, and several precautionary measures were taken.
"I am shocked! In my heart and in my conscience, I know that I have always carried out and will continue to carry out the role of mayor as a service to the community, free of charge, always putting public interests first", Brugnaro stated in a note, where he also denied all charges against him.