Italy May Investigate Property Tied to Sanctioned Putin Ally
Italian Senator Ivan Scalfarotto, from the Italia Viva party, believes that his country's government should investigate schemes used by Russian officials to hide their assets in Italy, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.
He told this to Ukrinform while commenting on previously published information about illegal schemes used to manage the assets of Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Russian Federation Council.
"I think the government should be using all the relevant tools in order to investigate the case and come up with a plan of action. Russia is a hostile country to us," the politician said.
Scalfarotto stressed that the investigation by Italian journalists into Matviyenko raises questions about the effectiveness of personal sanctions. He also recalled that a plane carrying the sanctioned Russian speaker crossed Italian airspace when she was traveling to Geneva to attend the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (where her speech was later boycotted).
"I also know that Ms. Matvienko recently flew over Italy with her plane because she was coming back from Switzerland. When it comes to individuals enforcing sanctions, it is probably more difficult, especially when, as in this case, a sort of a shell foundation is used to hide properties or an estate, something which people have. But, you know, I don't think it is impossible," Scalfarotto said.
After Italian journalists revealed information about a hidden villa belonging to Matviyenko's family, Scalfarotto appealed to the Italian interior and foreign ministers to clarify the situation, as he wrote on the social media platform X.
The Italian politician stressed: "It was important for me to put that in writing and I will get a response because the government is obliged to come back with an answer."
Scalfarotto expects an answer in September, when the government returns to work. He does not rule out that Italian law enforcement authorities may initiate an investigation into the legality of the Matviyenko family's property ownership in Italy.
"We should be very decisive and do whatever we can in order to limit and confine the activity of Russian subjects, especially when they are as close to Mr. Putin as Ms. Matviyenko, who is also a political figure," said Scalfarotto, who has previously taken part in pro-Ukraine solidarity events.
The Italian politician recalled that Russia has called Italian President Sergio Mattarella an example of Russophobia, and pointed out that Russians have carried out hacker attacks in Italy.
"Russia keeps doing hostile things against Italy. For example, from time to time we have issues with electronic systems being hacked, for example, airport infrastructure," Scalfarotto added.
Since 2014 Matviyenko has been under U.S. sanctions for supporting the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and since 2022 she has been sanctioned by the European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland, United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Ukraine for publicly endorsing Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Her son, Sergey Matviyenko, is sanctioned by the United States, Japan, and Canada.
Despite being under sanctions, Matviyenko's son has been in Italy and has even registered a shell company there.
Earlier, Italian investigative journalists shared with Ukrinform the details of schemes involving Speaker Matviyenko and Russian oligarchs.
