Huge scam discovered in Sicily. Fruit and vegetables sold as organic both in Italy and abroad were actually grown using traditional pesticides. The investigated entrepreneurs also seem to have received €1 million worth of European funds destined for organic agriculture.
Revenue officers searched nine "organic" companies and the owners are currently being investigated for the offence of fraud in trade and aggravated fraud against the State and the European Union. They are accused of having unduly received €1 million worth of funds and incentives.
Officers performed technical investigations, stakeouts, tailings and analyses of bank records over various months starting from early 2017. They focused on "organic" companies specialised in the cultivation and production of agricultural produce free from chemical agents in the Modica, Scicli, Ragusa, Ispica, Pozzallo, Vittoria, Acate, Syracuse and Bologna municipalities.
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