Italy: ‘We don’t want to be on a mission’
LOS ANGELES — Italy has asked its federal prosecutors to investigate its state-run electricity company after it was revealed it has hired some of the world’s best human-resources consultants to help it make its operations work faster, better and more efficient.
The move comes as the Italian government prepares to submit an ambitious 2018 budget for the first time in 20 years.
The Federal Audit Office, Italy’s auditor, issued a preliminary report on Tuesday outlining its investigation into the company, which operates in the United States and abroad, and its ability to handle the “unprecedented” demand for electricity from solar and wind farms.
The report will be reviewed by the National Audit Office before it is finalized and submitted to the government, the Federal Audit Center said in a statement.
“It is not only a question of ethics and integrity, but also of the safety of the public,” the Federal Auditor’s Office said.
The Italian government, which has spent more than $40 billion to support renewable energy, also said it is considering a ban on the purchase of electric cars by motorists, an approach similar to those in neighboring Spain and Germany.
The Interior Ministry has not yet released the final report.
The company said it will also review the safety and efficiency of its own power plant operations.
The agency that oversees the company’s operations has been under intense scrutiny since revelations that it used contractors to work at the heart of the country’s power system and was using a highly insecure, and highly centralized, system for managing electricity production.
In July, the Italian Supreme Court ruled that the company was in violation of EU laws and was fined for the breach.
It also ordered the company to repay €3.6 million to the country of 2.5 million, a sum the company has yet to pay.
The watchdog agency has since announced it will launch a criminal investigation into whether the company broke EU regulations on transparency and its workers.
The court ruled in favor of the company in January, and the Supreme Court’s ruling followed that ruling.
On Wednesday, the company posted an internal memo confirming that some of its staff were hired by the Interior Ministry to assist in its work.
The Interior Minister did not identify the employees, but the document said the work is being performed by people who have previously been in charge of various energy operations, including the electricity generation company, the electricity transmission company and the power distribution company. “
But at the same time we must also ensure that we are transparent and accountable to the Italian public.”
The Interior Minister did not identify the employees, but the document said the work is being performed by people who have previously been in charge of various energy operations, including the electricity generation company, the electricity transmission company and the power distribution company.
The investigation was launched by the Italian parliament in 2015 after a series of reports that alleged corruption in Italy’s power industry.
At the time, the auditor’s office found that the electricity company had been using a centralized system to manage its operations.
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said at the time that the country had “no choice” but to ban the use of electric vehicles, but has since reversed its position.