The president of Visibilia Reale Ruffino commits suicide: he had saved the company of the minister Santanchè

He killed himself, shooting himself in the night between Saturday and Sunday, Luca Giuseppe Reale Ruffinopresident of Visibilia Editore, a company founded by the minister Daniela Santanchè.

According to the first reconstructions, Ruffino would have shot himself with a weapon he regularly owned, in his home in Milan, entrusting his last thoughts to a note. One of his two sons, having had no news of him for a few hours, allegedly went to his father’s house in via Spadolini where he found him dead.

The hypothesis of serious health problems

According to what is learned from people close to Ruffino, the president of Visibilia Editore had no personal or economic problems. However, according to the same sources, it seems that he had serious health problems and that few were aware of them.

Last Thursday he also participated in a meeting of the Board of Directors of Visibilia Editore. Ruffino was an experienced manager, with a past, among other things, on the Board of Directors of FerrovieNord, Fiera Milano and Milano Serravalle Engineering. But above all a great ability in the management of condominiums. So much so that he had founded Sif Italia, a company listed on Euronext Growth Milano, becoming the first condominium administrator in Italy to have a condominium administration firm listed on the stock exchange.

The shares taken over by Minister Santanchè

In October 2022 he took over Visibilia Editore, taking over the shares of Fdi senator and Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè. Ruffino had just turned 60 on 24 July.

The police and the Milan prosecutor’s office are investigating the incident, but there would already be little doubt about the voluntariness of his act. Ruffino had never been investigated and would never have been heard by the prosecutors in the context of the ongoing investigation into Visibilia.

The Milan prosecutor’s office has opened a file with the hypothesis of the crime of inciting suicide. A necessary step also to carry out any investigations such as an autopsy.

When Ruffino said: no “black rescue” in Santanchè
In an interview on 22 July 2023, Ruffino had denied being a friend of the Minister of Tourism and having helped her financially: «But what black aid – he declared to Repubblica – Daniela Santanchè owes us 1.5 million and for this she has put I also guarantee his house. I have nothing to do with her otherwise and we are sorting out the things we found here.’

The motion of no confidence rejected
On 26 July, the Senate had rejected an individual no-confidence motion proposed by the M5s and supported by the Pd and Avs against Daniela Santanchè. The senator-entrepreneur was involved in an investigation by the Milan prosecutor’s office concerning her Visibilia company. Her pentastellati accused her of “lack of answers and opaqueness”.

The hour of truth arrives for Santanché. M5S: “Conduct unworthy of a minister”

Frederick Capurso

July 25, 2023

The accusations: from false accounting to bankruptcy
Despite the rejection of the no-confidence motion, heavy charges hung over the minister’s head, including false accounting, bankruptcy and fraud against the state. Santanchè had rejected all the accusations, stating that he was faithful to the principles of legality, responsibility, discipline and honor that the Constitution requires of anyone working in the service of the nation.

Visibilia’s proposal to pay off debts
The attention on the facts was concentrated on two requests for judicial liquidation presented by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office on companies of the Santanchè group, with hearings set for September. The Revenue Agency evaluated a settlement proposal presented by the company Visibilia srl ​​in liquidation to settle debts with the tax authorities by diluting the payment of 1.2 million euros over 10 years.

Patuanelli: “Santanchè lied, have dignity and resign”

Antonio Bravetti

July 20, 2023

The hypothesis of fraud against INPS
However, the Revenue Agency has requested documentary integrations from the company, since the proposed proposal aroused doubts and perplexities. Furthermore, Santanchè would risk being involved in another accusation concerning an alleged fraud against the state, linked to the INPS layoffs of some Visibilia Editore workers during the Covid period.

The involvement of the companion of the minister
The investigation also involves Dimitri Kunz D’Asburgo, companion of Santanchè. The investigations are still ongoing, and the file is model 44 with hypotheses of crime and no suspects, but the situation continues to be the object of attention and analysis by the competent authorities.

Conte asks for his resignation
The position of the pentastellato leader Giuseppe Conte was very critical of the minister, arguing that in any large country, Santanchè would no longer be a minister.