Former Magistrate Investigated Amidst Strait Bridge Project Controversy
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Former Magistrate Investigated Amidst Strait Bridge Project Controversy
- Italy's Court of Auditors rejected the €13.5 billion Strait of Messina Bridge project on October 29, 2025, citing severe budgetary risks and concerns over an outdated tender.
- Former Deputy President of the Court of Auditors, Tommaso Miele, who retired in February 2026, is currently under investigation by the Rome Prosecutor's Office for alleged corruption and disclosure of official secrets related to the project.
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The ambitious €13.5 billion project to construct the Strait of Messina Bridge, intended to link Sicily and Calabria, faced a significant setback on October 29, 2025, when Italy’s Court of Auditors (Corte dei Conti) refused to authorize its construction. The court’s decision, which did not immediately provide full reasoning but was later reported to question the validity of a 2005 tender and cite “severe budgetary risks,” effectively froze the project indefinitely. Concerns were also raised regarding compliance with EU environmental and seismic regulations, as well as potential cost increases.
The ruling drew strong criticism from government officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, who characterized it as a “political decision” and an “intolerable intrusion” by the judiciary. Both leaders vowed to continue pursuing the project despite the court’s objections.
More recently, as of June 9, 2026, Tommaso Miele, who served as the former Deputy President of the Court of Auditors before his retirement in February 2026, has come under investigation by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office. The allegations against Miele include corruption and the disclosure of official secrets. Investigators claim Miele allegedly sought to ensure a favorable outcome in the project’s legality review in exchange for promises of future senior positions in public bodies after his retirement. [cite