Italian police are investigating the Malta dealings of the former ‘right hand man’ of Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi, who is currently embroiled in a new political scandal, Italian media report.
Raffaele Marra (above) was arrested in Rome on Friday on suspicion of corruption. Earlier last week he resigned his post as one of the young mayor’s top aides.
Marra boasted of holding great power within the city council and is described by sections of the Italian media as the ‘shadow mayor’ or ‘the real mayor’ of Rome. The scandal involves the purchase of homes from contractor Sergio Scarpellini (below), who has also has been arrested. Scarpellini has won several multi-million euro contracts by the council.
Now investigators are also looking into the possibility of money laundering operations through Malta. They are looking into Marra’s dealings in different sectors, including boat leasing and marine finance, and online betting.
His wife and children have lived in Malta since 2015, according to the media, in an elegant St Julian’s apartment. His brother, Catello Marra, is also a resident, and is heavily involved in an organization that calls itself the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem. He also runs something called the International Organisation for Diplomatic Relations, which is based in Malta.
According to ‘Il Fatto Quotidiano’ and ‘il Corriere della Sera,’ the Carabinieri were alerted to possible money laundering operations by Italian central bank Bankitalia. The investigators are looking into withdrawals made using a credit card registered to Raffaele Marra at Maltese ATM machines and money deposited in Maltese banks. One of the transactions mentioned is the transfer of some €4,000 from one of his brother’s accounts.
Detectives found that Marra had received regular payments between 2011 and 2013 from French companies related to maritime leasing and finance. They also found that a sum of €240,000 had been transferred to Marra between May and June 2015 – in four payments – which was apparently related to the sale of a vessel.
Rome mayor Raggi (above) has tried to distance herself from Marra, saying that he the head of City Hall personnel was left over from previous administrations. "We trusted in him, probably we made a mistake," she said, apologizing to the people of Rome, 5 Stelle (her political movement) and its founder Beppe Grillo.
"The administration continues. Dr Marra is not a member of this administration but one of 23,000 employees" of the city of Rome, Raggi said. Alluding to references to Marra as her right-hand man, she said that title goes to "the citizens of Rome, and it is for them I work without a rest."
The arrest came a day after police searched City Hall and seized records about disputed city appointments.
The setbacks renewed pressure on Raggi's administration. Her party, 5-Star Movement, has been pressing for a new parliamentary election following the political crisis that forced Italy to form a new government in recent days.
Raggi came to power promising to clean up the Eternal City following corruption scandals and deteriorating public services. But she has floundered in her first six months in office, with a series of problematic appointments and resignations.