Sgarbi and consultancy (forbidden). He defends himself: “It’s not true that I can’t do it.” And the complaint was filed against Il Fatto
Victor Sgarbi he ended up in the crosshairs for his consultancy prohibited by law as a member of the government. The undersecretary to Culture he would have collected 300 thousand euros since February for having participated in exhibitions and would also have withdrawn several prizes. But the law prohibits it. For twenty years – we read in Il Fatto Quotidiano – it has imposed on political office holders Of devote themselves exclusively to the “care of public interests”. Prohibiting “professional activities in matters related to government office”. The Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiulian you know? He gave a approval? Sgarbi meanwhile replies: “My activity is not prohibited by law. I’m like a minister who writes books“. And he announces complaints. The money they would end up as two limited companies attributable to him.
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But what does the law say? Sgarbi – continues Il Fatto – is bound to 215/2004 which requires those who hold it to dedicate themselves “exclusively to the care of public interests”. From the oath onwards, “the holder cannot derive, for the entire duration of the government, any form of remuneration or advantage“. The law also prohibits “carry out professional activities or self-employment in matters related to government office, of any nature, even if free, in favor of public or private entities”. The legislator specifies: “They are also banned abroad”. Sgarbi’s lawyer wrote to Il Fatto: “For now, please refrain from publishing news, also to avoid violating privacy and the secrecy of the investigation.”
Il Fatto accuses Sgarbi of illegal fees, he denies it and sues the lawyer: “no conflict of interest, everything is in order”
“The activity as a lecturer of the Undersecretary of Culture Vittorio Sgarbijust as the presentation of books, exhibitions and cultural initiatives of private or public bodies, has never been in ‘conflict of interest’ with its institutional tasks, which are those – it is worth repeating – of the protection and conservation of assets cultural”. This was stated in a note by Giampaolo Cicconi, lawyer of the undersecretary of Culture, Vittorio Sgarbi, replying to the Fatto Quotidiano article entitled “Sgarbi is in government and collects a golden cachet: the law forbids it” and announcing legal initiatives. The article specifies that Sgarbi has earned “at least 300 thousand euros, from February to today alone” for conferences, speeches and television appearances. money – we read again – “is for the undersecretary Sgarbi, but it is also given to his head of the secretariat and his partner, and they are all happy”. “And what happened – asks the newspaper – to the law which for twenty years requires political office holders to dedicate themselves exclusively to the “care of public interests” by prohibiting “professional activities in matters related to government office”? Good for him, except that since 31 October 2022 Sgarbi has been paid by Italian taxpayers to carry out his role as undersecretary.”
Il Fatto adds that, “according to the documents he has seen, a real industry based on the art of procuring activities that are also carried out in broad daylight revolves around the critic-politician and his trusted collaborators, but whose remunerations remain in the shadows, sometimes paid to others, often passed off as ‘missions’ and then reimbursed by the ministry”. Cicconi specifies that “it is not at all clear where the conflict of interest lies between the role of undersecretary and the presentation of an exhibition on Andy Warhol (paid for by private individuals), a Lectio magistralis on Caravaggio (paid for by private individuals), participation in an exhibition of contemporary artists (also paid for by private individuals) or a theatrical performance on Michelangelo (paid for by a Municipality)”. “It is wonderful to think – he continues – that there is incompatibility between the function as undersecretary and as president of the Miss Italia jury. It’s a joke? Or is it inappropriate for prostate reasons?”. “No reimbursement has ever been requested by the undersecretary, nor by the collaborators of his Office for initiatives of a ‘non-institutional’ nature, which is easily verifiable from the documents at the ministry – underlines the lawyer -. But Il Fatto Quotidiano, instead of providing, as the ethical code of journalists requires, a scrupulous verification of what was submitted to it by unknown (we believe for a short time) ‘crows’, preferred to amplify what is a slander, to which we announce from now on to take civil action against the director, the author of the article and the publisher”.
“What ‘Il Fatto Quotidiano’, with artificial suggestion, defines as ‘industry founded on the art of procuring business’ – the lawyer further underlines – is nothing more than a very normal working activity, as can be that of the journalist who participates, paid, at a conference, presents a book or puts on a theater show”. “Regarding the head of the secretariat, the statement according to which ‘instead of being the head of the secretariat at the ministry turns out to be doing another job is completely gratuitous, defamatory and detrimental to his professionalism‘ – we read again in the note -. Even in this case, being able to demonstrate the contrary with documentation, proceedings will be taken in civil court, as these are mere inferences, devoid of any proof. Finally, with regard to the companies ‘Ars’ and ‘Hestia’, it is specified, without fear of any denial, that all the activities carried out were regularly contracted, and that a regular invoice was issued for each activity. Having instead, as ‘Il Fatto Quotidiano’ did, alluded to ‘remunerations that remain in the shadows’, is another defamatory statement for which the newspaper will be held accountable.”Finally, considering – concludes Cicconi – that ‘Il Fatto’ has taken up, amplified and used, giving it “dignity” of news, an anonymous letter (for which, it is reiterated, a report was filed with the Postal Police) with attachments obtained fraudulently and violating computer and telephone devices used by the undersecretary and his collaboratorsi, also disseminating data covered by the constraint of confidentiality and privacy, we warn you not to publish news of this nature, subject to appeal to the Privacy Guarantor”.
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