Citizenships by "iure sanguinis", two arrests in Agrigento: 23 suspects under investigation for corruption and forgery
Agrigento State Police have executed two precautionary measures linked to an unlawful scheme for the recognition of Italian citizenship to Brazilian citizens.
Citizenship operation, pre-trial detention for business agency owner in Porto Empedocle
Agrigento State Police executed two precautionary measures in the morning of 4 September that became final following the judgment of 3 September 2026, in which the First Criminal Section of the Court of Cassation rejected the appeals of those under investigation. This is reported by Google News IT — Crime (it), citing Agrigento Police Headquarters.
Police officers from the Section on Crimes Against Public Administration and Public Assets took into custody the owner of a business agency, who was served with a precautionary detention measure. The man is under investigation for aiding illegal immigration, ideological falsehood committed by a public official in public documents — with the aggravating factor relating to an attested act — corruption for an act contrary to official duties, disclosure of official secrets, corruption for the exercise of function, corruption of a person entrusted with public service, as well as complicity in money laundering and self-laundering offences. At the end of operations he was transferred to Agrigento Circumferential Prison.
At the same time, the same Section notified an Inspector of the Local Police Command of the Municipality of Porto Empedocle (AG) of the interdictory measure of suspension from the exercise of public office for six months, with reference to charges of forgery.
Unlawful scheme on citizenship procedures for Brazilian citizens
The investigations, initiated in May 2023 and concluded in April 2025, reconstructed an elaborate unlawful scheme centred on the management of administrative procedures for the recognition of Italian citizenship iure sanguinis in favour of citizens of Brazilian origin. The investigative activity was coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office at Agrigento Court and conducted by the city's Mobile Squad.
At the end of the inquiries, 23 individuals were referred to the Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of offences relating to corruption, forgery, aiding illegal immigration, money laundering and the use of money, goods or benefits of illicit origin. All those under investigation are to be considered presumed innocent until final judgment.
The judicial process: from the rejection by the investigating judge to the Court of Cassation
The requests for precautionary measures put forward by the Public Prosecutor's Office had initially been rejected by the investigating judge of Agrigento Court. The Public Prosecutor's Office had therefore lodged an appeal with the Court of Review in Palermo, which accepted the representations of the prosecution office and ordered the measures that subsequently became final with the ruling of the Court of Cassation.
A first development had already occurred on 11 May 2026, when the Mobile Squad executed further precautionary measures that had become final against two other suspects, in partial acceptance of the appeal lodged by the Public Prosecutor against the investigating judge's order. Today's measures are based on serious indications of guilt acquired during the investigations; final criminal responsibility will be determined at trial.
Source: Google News IT — Crime (it)