Overview
- The judge for the preliminary hearing in Rome ordered Denis Verdini to stand trial on corruption charges tied to allegedly steered Anas contracts and set the first hearing for 16 September 2026.
- The same hearing on Friday, June 12, 2026, approved a plea deal for Verdini’s son Tommaso, raising his sentence to two years and ten months to be served through community service.
- A former Anas manager, Domenico Petruzzelli, was convicted for corruption and sentenced to one year and four months after an abbreviated trial and was acquitted of the bid‑rigging charge.
- Prosecutors say the case centers on a network of intermediaries and some public officials who exchanged confidential procurement information, money or favors so consultancy clients could win high‑value Anas contracts.
- The decision brings the investigation into the public courtroom and could increase scrutiny of how political recommendations and appointments are used to influence public procurement at the state road agency.