Busia: "The mafia is ready to infiltrate the bridge construction. Tighten security."

Giuseppe Busia, president of the National Anti-Corruption Authority, in your opinion, does the Ponte project comply with all European regulations?

"Over two years ago, we highlighted that the decision to revive an old project by decree, without a new tender, would have made everything more difficult, with the risk of violating the European directive. The first constraint is to avoid introducing substantial changes to that project: the longest single-span bridge in the world will therefore have to be built, without truly capitalizing on the innovations of the last decade."

And from an economic point of view?

The same directive stipulates that, since the tender was not held, the overall cost cannot increase by more than 50%. And here lies a delicate legal issue: because the tender had been held many years earlier, with a budget of just over €4 billion, which rose to over €8 billion in 2012. With the 50% increase, we reach the €13.5 billion currently forecast. Any unforeseen event would ultimately pose a compatibility issue with the EU directive.

So, can't you add another euro?

Certainly. And all this, provided the EU institutions agree to starting from the already doubled figure of €8 billion instead of the initial €4 billion. This is why we suggested making a preliminary request to the EU Commission on this matter. What we know is that the contract revived today, with its more than doubled costs, has already proven to not adequately transfer the risks to the private sector, instead offloading them to the public coffers. What's more, a single executive project and a phased approach have been abandoned.

And what does this decision entail?

"Construction will begin on the ground, even before we have the details of the overall development. This makes the cost estimates currently being made less reliable. This way, it takes very little to go over budget."

He's talking about ground works: is there a risk that the two towers will be built and in the end the Bridge won't be there?

«Perhaps even before the towers, the risk is that we end up with junctions and connections towards the Bridge, without having the certainty of doing so».

Do you think it was a gamble?

It would have been appropriate to move in a different direction: before reviving by decree that old project, which belonged to a private company and had lost its value, it could have been acquired at a lower cost and then put to tender again. It would have cost less, having a much more advanced project, without the sword of Damocles of possible EU infringements. With the successive decrees and now with the approval of CIPESS, private companies have secured their profits, while the public sector is exposed to the risk of huge compensation payments.

How to prevent the risk of mafia infiltration?

"Given these investments, there are many appetites. Strengthened measures must be implemented, and thanks to digital construction sites, we can monitor who physically enters, because the risk of infiltration is extremely high. We had proposed specific provisions."

Was your appeal ignored?

«The latest decree's opportunity to intervene was not taken».

Will this bridge finally be built?

"I can't say that. But the decision not to hold a tender and not to have an executive project increases the risks and makes the construction more technically complex."

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