Prosecutors Seek House Arrest for Former Ilva CEO Lucia Morselli Over Pollution
The Taranto Public Prosecutor's Office has requested house arrest for former executive Lucia Morselli and two other individuals amid an investigation into alleged environmental crimes at the steelworks between 2019 and 2024.
Prosecutors in Taranto have requested house arrest for Lucia Morselli, former chief executive officer of Acciaierie d'Italia, alongside two other individuals as part of a sweeping investigation into alleged pollution at the former Ilva steel plant. The inquiry, which spans the period between 2019 and 2024, focuses on emissions from the facility and alleges that the plant's management prioritized production and profits over environmental protection.
In addition to Morselli, prosecutors have requested house arrest for Alessandro Labile, former director of the steelworks, and Francesco Astorri, head of the inspection unit at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). Overall, the Taranto Public Prosecutor's Office has sought disqualificatory measures against ten people in connection with the case.
The ongoing investigation is led by prosecutors Mariano Buccoliero, Francesco Ciardo, and Francesco Sansobrino. In total, the inquiry involves numerous suspects and multiple corporate entities, with several individuals facing allegations of criminal conspiracy aimed at committing offenses against the environment, public safety, and public administration.
According to the prosecution's theory, inadequate maintenance of plant facilities led to harmful emissions that endangered both workers and the general public. The broad set of allegations under investigation includes criminal conspiracy to cause pollution, environmental disaster, and fraud against the State.
A separate line of inquiry within the case addresses alleged irregularities concerning the management of carbon dioxide emissions and associated emission allowances. These facets of the investigation previously involved police searches and seizures during the summer as part of inquiries into suspected state fraud regarding carbon dioxide quotas.
The origins of the broader investigation trace back to probes into benzene spikes recorded at the industrial site. Morselli had previously received notice in March that the initial investigations, which stemmed from an official complaint, were being extended by authorities.
The judge for preliminary investigations, Francesco Maccagnano, has scheduled the preliminary questioning sessions for Morselli, Labile, and Astorri. The suspects are slated to appear before the court to address the requested precautionary measures.
Separately, Morselli faces an unrelated legal proceeding involving an inquiry into fraudulent bankruptcy launched by the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office. That separate case follows a formal report filed by the special administrators of the former Ilva enterprise.