Investigation concludes for Beic
Fresh Take:
It's Been Half a Year...
...since the initial hearings that kickstarted the investigation against Stefano Boeri, Cino Zucchi, and others – including starchitects Pier Paolo Tamburelli, Angelo Lunati, Giancarlo Floridi, and Andrea Caputo – for allegedly fixing the 2022 Milan competition for the European Information and Culture Library. The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has now closed the investigation, paving the way for a possible trial. The only exception is Andrea Caputo, whose case may be archived.
The accusation against the peers is a conspiracy to use "fraudulent means," "collusions," and "unauthorized contacts during the evaluation process" to manipulate the results in favor of their consortium. Boeri and Zucchi, as the competition's president and jurors, received interdiction measures back in February, restricting them from participating in judging commissions for public tenders for 12 and 8 months, respectively.
The investigators from the financial-economic police unit of the Guardia di Finanza claim that Boeri and Zucchi repeatedly contacted Tamburelli to influence the commissioners, ensuring they favored the project presented by the consortium formed by Onsitestudio, Baukuh, and others. The objective was to secure the bid, as ultimately occurred.
Tiziana Siciliano, the deputy prosecutor coordinating the investigation, had requested a more stringent measure such as house arrest, but a less severe interdiction was imposed. The two renowned architects – defended by Francesco Mucciarelli, Carlo Cerami, Giovanni Bellingardi, and Stefano Solida – are also accused of failing to declare potential conflicts of interest with the competition participants.
According to preliminary investigation judge Luigi Iannelli, Boeri and Zucchi's actions reveal a casual, even proprietary, approach to rules safeguarding the impartiality of administrative activities. Although the behavior isn't unprecedented, he clarified that in this case, the conspiratorial and insidious nature demands a response.
- The average citizen might find it alarming to learn that in 2022, a major investigation was closed against starchitects Stefano Boeri and Cino Zucchi, among others, due to allegations of manipulating the Milan competition for the European Information and Culture Library.
- The archiving of Andrea Caputo's case is a significant exception in the investigation, while the rest of the defendants, such as Pier Paolo Tamburelli, Angelo Lunati, and Giancarlo Floridi, may face a potential trial.
- Despite the closure of the investigation, Boeri and Zucchi are still under scrutiny for their alleged use of "fraudulent means," "collusions," and "unauthorized contacts" to secure the bid for the consortium involving Onsitestudio, Baukuh, and others.
- The financial-economic police unit of the Guardia di Finanza has gathered evidence that Boeri and Zucchi inappropriately contacted architect Pier Paolo Tamburelli during the evaluation process, influencing the commissioners and potentially demonstrating a casual approach to rules regarding the impartiality of administrative activities in business and finance.
