Unidentified Russians and Italian government aide discuss covert funding of far-right Italian party
On October 18, 2018, a “close aide” to Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini negotiated a deal with unidentified Russians for clandestine funding of Salvini’s nationalist Lega party, according to BuzzFeed News. In a secret recording of the meeting, the aide, Gianluca Savoini, discusses a scheme whereby a Russian oil company would sell fuel at a discount to the Italian Eni company through intermediaries. These middlemen would then transfer the discount – valued at around $65 million – to Lega. While it is uncertain whether the transaction took place, it would have been illegal under Italian law. The discussion, conducted in Moscow by Savoini, two other Italians, and three Russians with apparent government ties, was first revealed in February 2019 by L’Espresso.

About This Incident

Incident Metadata

Date: 18-Oct-18
Country: Italy
Source: Source Source 2