The Milan prosecutor's office has concluded an investigation ahead of a request for a trial into a case of a detention center for migrants to repatriate (CPR) on Via Corelli.

On December 13, the center was put under administration by an external commissioner with the seizure of a branch of Martinina SRL, a Salerno-based company that had managed the center.

'Food with worms, dilapidated beds, use of drugs'

An investigation into fraud in public supplies and collusive tendering, conducted by Italy's financial police, the Guardia di Finanza (GDF), revealed "inhuman" and "infernal" conditions in which migrants were living.

The report on the investigation cited "food full of worms", an absence of cultural and linguistic mediators, constant use of "psychiatric drugs", and "dilapidated" beds and bathrooms.

Also read: Eight CPRs in Italy found to be run in inhumane conditions

CPR managers to be charged

The two legal and de facto administrators of the company, Alessandro Forlenza and Consiglia Caruso will likely be charged and the Martinina company is under investigation related to the law on administrative responsibility of the companies.

Following the December 21 seizure of the Milan company, it is now under judicial administration led by the tax advisor Giovanni Falconieri.

"My client, Alessandro Forlenza," the lawyer Antonio Ingroia said, "reiterates that he is not involved in the alleged crimes and will provide the necessary documents. He reserves the right to be questioned by the investigators and will deposit his statements alongside the evidence in his defense."

Videos showing extremely poor conditions

The videos that ended up in the documents regarding the case showed very poor conditions, including one with "a person on the ground in the square of the CPR" of Via Corelli "propped up against a sort of foam mattress", who was "groaning with suffering" but "in vain since he was ignored by everyone."

In the meantime, according to the charges, the company that managed the center -- as it did not actually offer the "services" indicated in official documents used to win the contract (with fraudulent documentation) -- benefited from "a considerable illicit economic advantage" on that contract worth over 4 million euros.

One migrant, for example, according to the notice marking the end of the investigation, "despite having a broken foot, was not able to be examined by a doctor since the [center] manager refused to pay for it."

Another one suffering from severe dental pain was also unable to be seen by a dentist, allegedly because the manager claimed the center did not have the money.

The investigation found that the CPR lacked medicines and that there were people with brain tumors and other serious illnesses. Furthermore, there were no linguistic mediators and thus the communication was limited to physical gestures and "people's expressions".

In addition to the food, which was "rotten and expired", there was no "legal information", no "place for prayer", "dirty" rooms, and bathrooms "in disgraceful conditions".

Center employees, additionally, were not given severance pay and "some of their wages", according to the investigation. Other charges of collusive tendering refer to the years between 2019 and 2022.

Also read: Italy: Investigation reveals 'inadequate' health services, expired food at CPR