Italy’s prosecutors investigate ex-minister over Solvay plant licence -sources
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Italy’s former energy transition minister Roberto Cingolani is under investigation by Rome prosecutors for having renewed an environmental authorisation to the Rosignano Solvay plant on a Tuscan beach in 2022, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter have revealed.
Cingolani, who has been CEO of Italy’s state-controlled defence and aerospace group Leonardo since May, is being investigated for the alleged offence of abuse of office, the sources said.
The former minister and Leonardo declined to comment.
The investigation, which does not involve Solvay, arose after a lawsuit filed in 2022 by Giuseppe Bivona, activist co-founder of Bluebell Capital Partners, and Elio Lannutti, a former senator of the 5-star movement, who complained the minister had extended the authorisations for the chemical plant for five years before they expired.
The integrated environmental authorisation (AIA) is a measure that aims to verify the environmental compatibility of any given activity.
However, a source close to the ex-minister clarified that this was not an extension of the authorisation but a new authorisation, which was required by law because a change had occurred at the Belgian chemical group’s plant.
