Visibilia case: Daniela Santanchè's preliminary hearing postponed to May 20

THEThe preliminary hearing, which sees among the defendants the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, for the Visibilia case and the accusation of aggravated fraud against INPS, has been postponed to May 20.

La decision was taken by the preliminary hearing judge of Milano, Tiziana Gueli, after the request for a "defense term" by the minister's new lawyer, the lawyer Salvatore Pino.

The postponement of the hearing and the change in the defense

Il postponement was necessary due to the change of lawyer: lawyer Pino has taken Salvatore Sanzo's place in the defense of the senator of Fratelli d'Italia. The defense team is completed by lawyer Nicolò Pelanda, who was engaged in another trial. According to what was reported by Pino himself, the minister is "very calm, if it weren't for the media buzz” surrounding the affair.

During the hearing, the prosecution, represented by PM Marina Gravina, expressed strong opposition to the postponement, arguing that such a long postponement was not necessary and highlighting the risk of the crime becoming statute-barred, given that the first contested conduct dates back to 2020 and the statute of limitations for the crime is 7 and a half years. However, GUP Gueli accepted the defense's request, establishing the postponement until May 20.

The role of INPS in the process

A key element of the story is the withdrawal of the civil party constitution by INPS.The social security institution has decided to withdraw from the criminal proceedings after receiving full compensation of over 126 thousand euros from the former companies of the minister. This development could influence the course of the trial, given that one of the main actors of the prosecution is no longer present.

The charges against Santanchè and the other defendants

L'investigation concerns the management of the extraordinary redundancy fund during the Covid-19 pandemic period for 13 employees of the companies Visibilia Editore and Visibilia Concessionaria, founded by the minister and from which she left in 2022. According to the prosecution, Santanchè, his partner Dimitri Kunz and Paolo Giuseppe Concordia, an external collaborator, allegedly obtained the subsidy "unduly" by falsely declaring that the employees were on zero-hour pay, while in reality they were working smart.

Possible developments and upcoming hearings

LThe preliminary hearing is still in the preliminary issues stage, and the defense could raise further objections or even ask for the defendants to be examined in court.. The next phase will see the prosecution reiterate its request to send the minister to trial, followed by the defense's interventions. It is estimated that at least two more hearings will be needed to reach a decision.

In the meantime, GUP Tiziana Gueli, who is about to be transferred to another position, could be applied to the case to conclude the preliminary hearing. If not, a new judge will take over, but without significant delays in the timing of the trial.

In parallel, Santanchè is involved in other legal proceedings: on April 15th the trial for false accounting related to Visibilia will begin, while she is also under investigation for bankruptcy in the case of the failure of Ki Group and risks a new accusation after the collapse of Bioera.

The postponement of the hearing to May 20th marks a new chapter in the complex legal case involving Daniela Santanchè. With INPS out of the proceedings and the defense ready to examine the file in depth, the trial could last for some time. However, attention remains high on the possible decisions of the judiciary, especially considering the declarations of the minister who, in the event of a referral to trial, could consider a step back from the government team.