The Italian authorities have said that the mayor of the Calabrian town of Melito Porto Salvo and several individuals in the local administration have been placed under investigation as part of an inquiry into the management of a hotel used for migrant reception.
Several individuals including Melito Porto Salvo mayor Giuseppe Meduri, a former deputy prefect who served in Reggio Calabria, and technical experts of the Melito Porto Salvo municipality have been placed under investigation by the Reggio Calabria prosecutor's office in relation to the management of the Stella Maris hotel in Melito Porto Salvo, where migrants and refugees were hosted between 2016 and 2017 while waiting to be sent elsewhere.
16 investigated for fraud and abuse
Possible charges against the 16 individuals include abuse of office, fraudulent representation, fraud, and abuse. According to reports, the hotel - which was placed under seizure on June 10 - did not have the necessary safety certification and part of it had been built without the required zoning permits.
Migrants used illegally as construction workers
The assistance to the refugees had been entrusted directly from the town council to the Leone SRL company, saying that the urgency of the situation due to the constant arrivals dictated the decision. The probe found that many of the refugees, including some under 18, had been illegally used as construction workers in the hotel and in preparing for the summer holiday season near the Stella Maris hotel.