Overview
- Prosecutors in Naples launched a criminal investigation into the theater’s finances and hiring, citing suspected fraud, forgery, and misappropriation of public funds known in Italy as peculato.
- Twelve people are under investigation, including former superintendent Stéphane Lissner, former director general Emmanuela Spedaliere, her son Michele Mangini Sorrentino, and casting chief Ilias Tzempetodinis, with no findings of guilt reported.
- One line of inquiry alleges about €212,000 in padded fees to five international artists for lessons or masterclasses that prosecutors say never occurred, with Jonas Kaufmann, Claus Guth, Asmik Grigorian, and Krzysztof Warlikowski receiving formal notices that they are under investigation.
- A second line focuses on the Officine San Carlo in Vigliena, reviewing Mangini Sorrentino’s appointment, a €350,000 transfer from Spedaliere to him, and how the satellite venue was used for shows.
- The Guardia di Finanza searched the foundation’s offices and seized documents and phones, while the Corte dei Conti is running a separate review of the Officine, and the timeframe under scrutiny spans 2020 through April 2025.