Florence, 10 January 2011 – The judge for the preliminary investigations of Florence Michele Barillaro ordered an expert report on the organizational models, of management and control of the companies of the Menarini pharmaceutical group involved in an investigation by Nas and the Florence prosecutor's office, and which sees 14 people under investigation for various reasons, including owners and managers, for fraud against the National Health Service, tax fraud, criminal association and money laundering.
The investigation culminated in the seizure of bank accounts for 1.2 billion eurosmeasure still in progress.
On 3 February the investigating judge will entrust the task to the experts, professors Carlo Piergallini and Paolo Bastia; the companies that will be the object of the appraisal are Menarini, Malesci, Laboratori Guidotti, Firma and Lusofarmaco. The investigating judge must decide on the request of the Florence prosecutor's office to prohibit these companies from "contracting with the public administration" for three months so as to be able to even order the commissioner. According to the Florence prosecutor's office, the companies are also responsible for the crimes of which the owners and managers under investigation are accused and therefore a proceeding has been opened to ask the investigating judge to temporarily suspend them from relations with the public administrations.
However, the lawyers of the Menarini group have already filed briefs with the organizational models of the various companies involved in the investigation to demonstrate the correctness of the activity carried out and the adequacy of the control criteria, suitable for avoiding the commission of offences. The expert report will help the judge establish whether the company processes were correct or not.
