Italy's Strait of Messina bridge probe uncovers alleged corruption scheme

Italian police intercepted a series of phone calls between Pietro Ciucci, chief executive of Stretto di Messina SpA, and Giacomo Saccomanno, a lawyer and former Lega representative in Calabria. In a call on 2 October 2025 Saccomanno told Ciucci he had “good news”, to which Ciucci replied, “Abbiamo vinto al Totocalcio?”. Investigators say the conversation was linked to an alleged attempt to obtain confidential information from the Court of Auditors to secure a favourable ruling on the €13.5 billion Strait of Messina bridge project.

The probe also involves entrepreneur Vincenzo Virgiglio and former senior auditor Tommaso Miele, accused of exchanging secret documents for promises of lucrative appointments after Miele’s retirement. The Court of Auditors rejected the project on 29 October 2025. Intercepted recordings contain a phrase attributed to Minister Matteo Salvini – “Se i magistrati vogliono la guerra, guerra sia” – further fueling political controversy. The suspects deny wrongdoing, and no arrests have been made beyond the investigation’s focus on the alleged corruption network.