Friday, March 29, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Parent Company of Honolulu Rail Contractor Ansaldo tied to Prostitution Ring
By Selected News Articles @ 12:27 PM :: 13106 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics, World News, Family

Italy Opposition Seeks Finmeccanica Probe, Chairman’s Ouster

by Marco Bertacche and Chiara Vasarri, Bloomberg (excerpts)

Italian opposition politicians called for a parliamentary probe into Finmeccanica SpA (FNC) (parent company of Honolulu Rail contractor Ansaldo) and for its chairman to resign, as newspapers print leaked information linking the state-controlled defense company to an inquiry into a prostitution ring.

Chairman Pier Francesco Guarguaglini “needs to go,” Elio Lannutti, a senator with the opposition Italian Values party, said today. “The longer he stays the more he damages Italy.” Lannutti also joined other opposition parties in calling for a parliamentary investigation into the company’s activities.

Italian newspapers over the past week have printed leaked excerpts of wiretaps made by investigators in Bari and Naples probing (suspected pimp Gianpaolo) Tarantini’s network and outlining his attempts to win business with Finmeccanica units through meetings with executives. The authenticity of the transcripts was confirmed by a person involved in the investigation.

While Finmeccanica hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing, commercial director Paolo Pozzessere on Sept. 15 offered to “step aside from his role until all relevant issues are clarified,” according to a statement from the company. Pozzessere “categorically denies any wrongdoing of any kind,” according to the statement. Salvatore Metrangolo, president of Finmeccanica’s SSI unit, resigned.

(September 15? That was six days after Ansaldo gave a video conference presentation to Don Horner and the other geniuses on HART. The SA said Horner was “pleased, comforted and impressed”. We hear Berlusconi is too.)

“The picture, of compromises, scandals and corruption emerging from national newspapers on Finmeccanica’s activities is mind-boggling and unacceptable,” Aldo Di Biagio, a member of parliament from the opposition Future and Liberty party, said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. His party plans to present a bill to set up a parliamentary commission to probe state-controlled companies.

A consultant to the company was last year named in a probe into slush funds. Finmeccanica, which wasn’t the subject of that investigation, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said it never set aside illegal funds.

The company also said July 22 that Guarguaglini was notified of a request by a prosecutor to extend an inquiry. Guarguaglini said today that he was never questioned in the probe.

Marina Grossi, chief executive officer of Finmeccanica’s SELEX Sistemi Integrati unit and Guarguaglini’s wife, is also being probed in a Rome investigation for alleged fiscal fraud linked to contracts with Italy’s air-traffic control agency ENAV. She has denied any wrongdoing. Italy owns about 32 percent of Finmeccanica.

Read entire article: Italy Opposition Seeks Finmeccanica Probe, Chairman’s Ouster

---30---

“If something goes haywire, say so.” – Sen Dan Inouye, August 25, 2011

Haywire Defined:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT