Milan Prosecutors Seek to Close Milan-Cortina 2026 Probe, Cite Government Decree
Milan, Italy – April 16, 2025
Milan prosecutors have requested the dismissal of a corruption and bid-rigging investigation into the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics organizing committee, arguing that a government decree classifying the Fondazione Milano-Cortina 2026 as a private entity has obstructed their ability to pursue the case. The move, reported today by LaPresse and Corriere della Sera, follows a May 2024 raid on the foundation’s headquarters over alleged irregularities in digital sponsor selection. Prosecutors also plan to challenge the decree’s constitutionality, claiming it represents “undue interference” in judicial work, sparking heated debate over transparency ahead of the Games.
The Investigation’s Origins
The probe, launched by Milan’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, targeted suspected corruption and tender rigging between March 2020 and March 2021, focusing on the award of digital ecosystem and IT security contracts for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Foundation. On May 21, 2024, the Guardia di Finanza raided the foundation’s Milan offices, seizing documents and inspecting computers, per AP News. Three individuals were implicated: former CEO Vincenzo Novari, another ex-manager, and the former legal representative of Vetrya (now Quibyt), which secured a digital services contract, per Agenzia Nova. No current foundation employees were under investigation, and the committee pledged full cooperation, per TSN.
Prosecutors alleged a “corrupt agreement” inflated invoices to favor sponsors, potentially misusing public funds, given the foundation’s ties to state bodies like CONI and the Lombardy Region, per Agenzia Nova. The case hinged on whether the foundation, despite its private status, operated as a public entity pursuing general interests, a point now central to the dismissal request.
The Dismissal Request
On April 15, prosecutors, led by Tiziana Siciliano, asked the investigating judge to archive the case, citing a 2024 government decree that reaffirmed the foundation’s private status, per LaPresse. This classification, they argue, limits their jurisdiction over public-sector crimes like corruption, effectively halting the probe. In a memo to the judge, obtained by Corriere della Sera, prosecutors called the decree an “insurmountable obstacle” that “prevented the continuation of investigations,” lamenting its impact on uncovering potential fraud.
The decree, part of broader Olympic preparations, was intended to streamline operations but has drawn fire for shielding the foundation from scrutiny. On X, sentiment reflects frustration: “Govt’s protecting their own—Cortina’s a mess,” one user posted, while another noted, “Prosecutors stuck, but they’re not giving up.” Prosecutors’ push to refer the decree to Italy’s Constitutional Court signals a rare challenge, arguing it violates judicial independence, per posts on X.
Constitutional Clash
The request to raise a constitutional question marks a bold escalation. Prosecutors contend the decree’s timing—post-raid—suggests deliberate interference, echoing concerns raised in a March 2025 Il Fatto Quotidiano report on Olympic cost overruns. They argue it undermines Article 112 of Italy’s Constitution, which mandates prosecutorial autonomy, per ANSA. A successful challenge could redefine how hybrid public-private entities are investigated, impacting future mega-events.
The foundation, budgeted at €1.7 billion ($1.9 billion), per AP News (April 10, 2025), relies on public and private funds, complicating accountability. Critics, including opposition MP Angelo Bonelli, call the dismissal request a “whitewash,” per La Repubblica, while supporters like Sports Minister Andrea Abodi defend the decree as necessary for efficiency, per Gazzetta dello Sport.
Broader Context
The probe is one of several shadows over Milan-Cortina 2026. The Cortina sliding track, now 98% complete, per The Sports Examiner (March 24, 2025), faced delays and €81.6 million in costs, leading to IOC threats to move events abroad, per Reuters. A 2022 Anti-Mafia Investigation Department warning about ’Ndrangheta infiltration in Olympic projects, per Inside the Games, underscores systemic risks. On X, users lament, “First the track, now this—can Italy pull off 2026?”
With the Games 22 months away, the dismissal request doesn’t end scrutiny. Prosecutors’ constitutional gambit could drag into 2026, per legal experts cited by Sole 24 Ore, potentially embarrassing Italy on the global stage. For now, the foundation continues preparations, but as one X post put it, “Milan-Cortina’s skating on thin ice.”
By Staff Writer, Olympic Oversight Observer
Sources: LaPresse, Corriere della Sera, AP News, Agenzia Nova, TSN, Il Fatto Quotidiano, ANSA, La Repubblica, Gazzetta dello Sport, The Sports Examiner, Reuters, Inside the Games, Sole 24 Ore, posts on X