The trial begins, and the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Venice take action against Mayor Brugnaro and his loyalists
By Alberto Zorzi
December 12, 2025
For years, Venice has been “fighting” with UNESCO to prevent the city from being blacklisted as a site at risk. Now, however, the UN agency’s inclusion in the World Heritage List could backfire on Mayor Luigi Brugnaro: it was one of the factors cited by the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Venice to underscore the city’s “global importance” and demonstrate that the Palude [‘swamp’, but indicating ‘corruption’, Ed.] investigation into corruption in the lagoon city “received national and international media coverage”. The civil action filed by lawyer Vittorio Manes on Thursday, at the first hearing in the bunker courtroom, is primarily based on the “serious damage to its reputation” caused by the investigation by Venice prosecutors Roberto Terzo and Federica Baccaglini. Ca’ Farsetti [the office of the Metropolitan City of Venice] is demanding massive compensation from the mayor and the other 25 defendants (26 will return): €4 million. The resolution is signed by Deputy Andrea Tomaello. Brugnaro was absent for the vote.
Organizations Are on the Attack
In fact, they are asking for “a sum of no less than €4 million”. And that is not the end of it, because Ca’ Corner [the office of the Municipality of Venice] is asking for the same amount (also signed, of course, by Deputy Silvia Susanna). Then there’s the half-million euros demanded by AVM, the Venetian mobility company, and the €200,000 for the ACTV transport company by lawyer Renzo Fogliata. However, in addition to the entrepreneurs involved in the “rigged” tenders (according to the prosecution), Fogliata has also filed a lawsuit against former executive Fabio Cacco, but not former director Giovanni Seno. €300,000 is being requested by Libera (lawyer Marco Lombardo), an association that fights not only the mafia but also corruption.
That’s already €9 million in total, but then there’s lawyer Elio Zaffalon, who has requested damages (to be quantified) from CGIL [trade union] and the Amici del Parco, an environmentalist association that works to protect green spaces. The defense, united, requested a timely examination of all the documents, and preliminary hearing judge Andrea Innocenti adjourned the hearing until January 23. On that date, the judge will decide which civil parties to admit. “The aim is to obtain affirmation of the criminal liability of the defendants”, Manes wrote. “The involvement of top administrators, including the mayor, has amplified the reputational damage. The credibility of the institutions has been impacted, and the criminal conduct has severely undermined public trust.” He also wrote: “The corrupt mechanisms have led to tainted administrative decisions, with financial losses resulting from actions that do not comply with the principles of cost-effectiveness and efficiency,” he said. “Violations of procurement regulations have led to increased costs and reduced efficiency, and the institution has had to incur additional costs to make things right again.”
The Defense in Court
These words are certainly striking, especially considering that Brugnaro is the main defendant, accused by prosecutors of corruption in the attempted sale of the Pili area and the actual sale of Palazzo Papadopoli to Singaporean tycoon Ching Chiat Kwong. In the first case concerning Pili, Brugnaro allegedly promised an increase in the building permit to raise the value of the land he owned – which he bought in 2006 and is now held in a blind trust – to €150 million. In the second case of Palazzo Papadopoli, Brugnaro allegedly sold Kwong the property for €10.8 million when a few years earlier it had been valued at €14 million. The variance is so blatant that the Court of Auditors has opened a case alleging damages to the treasury of €3.2 million. Brugnaro was not in court, as previously reported, nor were his right-hand men Morris Ceron and Derek Donadini. “We will assess whether he will appear at one of the upcoming hearings”, says his lawyer Alessandro Rampinelli, who did not rule out the possibility of his client being questioned by the judge. To those who noted how the mayor professes his innocence at every public appearance, his response is blunt: “He not only professes to be so, he is”. Among the principal defendants present in court was Luis Lotti, Mr. Ching’s Italian representative.
Procedural Decisions
The hearing began with 28 defendants and 14 companies under indictment. However, due to a notification issue – as requested by his lawyer, Giuseppe Favaron – Nicola Milanese, the owner of a company that allegedly bribed former councilor Renato Boraso to win the traffic fines contract, was dismissed. Boraso is the other prominent defendant, but he has already settled his case with an initial plea bargain of 3 years and 10 months, to which he will add a second 10-month sentence, to be ratified on December 22nd. That day, Fabrizio Ormenese (one month past the 2 years and 10 years he already received) and the company Esa 2000 (paying €5,000), owned by the Boraso family, will also plead guilty. Francesco Piccolo, a former regional councilor, may also be released from the trial for other reasons: his lawyer Matteo Garbisi has submitted a medical report regarding his health problems. Three entrepreneurs have already announced their intention to pursue a fast-track trial: Sergio Pizzolato and Roberto Tonon for corruption, and Alvise Bottazzo for tax crimes. But there’s still time, and more to come.
Source: Corriere del Veneto
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