Cassino public park waste fraud uncovered; seven arrested over PNRR‑funded scheme

Italian authorities seized the Villa Comunale park in Cassino after uncovering a large‑scale waste‑fraud operation financed with EU‑backed PNRR funds. Seven people – four business owners, three public officials and technical staff – are under investigation for illegally dumping roughly 6,886 m³ of demolition waste and other debris, masquerading it as quality soil for park renovation. Laboratory analyses revealed heavy‑metal contamination far above legal limits, posing a public‑health threat to the park’s daily visitors, especially children and seniors.

The Carabinieri Forestali, assisted by ecological units from Rome and Latina, confiscated the contaminated area, ten transport vehicles, and are conducting searches at the involved companies, the municipal offices and the professionals’ offices. Prosecutors aim to reconstruct the full chain of responsibility and to plan the remediation needed to make the park safe again.