Trani Court dismisses Molfetta hospital absenteeism charges

The Court of Trani has dismissed charges against 17 defendants in an investigation involving the Don Tonino Bello hospital in Molfetta, Italy. The judges ruled that the crimes, which involved fraudulent timecard punching and absenteeism, were extinguished due to the statute of limitations.

The investigation, known as ‘Quinto piano’, originally targeted 30 individuals, including doctors, nurses, and administrative staff, regarding approximately 300 cases of absenteeism occurring in 2017 and 2018. Among those whose charges were dismissed is surgeon Marco Bellapianta, who was placed under house arrest in 2019 alongside 11 others.