Italy's former Covid commissioner Domenico Arcuri cleared in parliamentary hearing

During a hearing of the parliamentary commission investigating Italy’s Covid‑19 emergency response, former commissioner Domenico Francesco Arcuri denied accusations that faulty masks reached hospitals and asserted that no criminal offence occurred. He highlighted that the government, through Consip and Prociv, secured 2.8 million masks in 50 days, meeting almost a day’s national demand, and noted that the emergency procurement involved six contracts with 28 producers, not a single €1.25 billion contract.

The Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) clarified that Circular n. 18/2026, cited by Arcuri, was suspended on 13 July 2026, is under revision, and has no relation to any Covid‑19 measures. The judicial investigations that had involved Arcuri and other officials concluded with an acquittal, as the alleged abuse‑of‑office offence is no longer defined in law. Arcuri also announced a civil lawsuit against Jc Electronics for damages related to the mask controversy.