The name for the Calabrian version of the Mafia: the name we all know really only refers to Sicily, the Camorra to Naples and there’s another name, which I’ve forgotten, for the Sardinian bunch. Nut whatever the name, just as good at ripping off the tax money:

They have been convicted of taking more than €50 million (£34 million)
between 2000 and 2004 after applying for an EU grant for a phoney
business, which promised to provide hundreds of jobs in the
impoverished region. Instead, the pair blew the money on living the
high life. They were arrested and convicted but then, it is now
alleged, granted another EU tranche of €17 million to set up another
false company while on bail. The two men are appealing against their
conviction.

Isolated incident perhaps?

However, if a report disclosed last week is anything
to go by, it should also be accorded similar status by the EU’s fraud
investigation squad.

The report found €118
million of the €341 million granted to Calabria last year has been
stolen after the subsidy bonanza attracted fraudsters from all over
Italy. Inspectors from Brussels were dismayed to find all 28 projects
they examined were scams.

Err, no, a way of life rather.

The corruption extended to the very highest levels.
Last week, Franco Pacenza, the 48-year-old regional head of the Left
Democrats political party, was arrested while on holiday in Sardinia
accused of helping to defraud the EU by as much as €70 million by
setting up a chain of false companies.

A
spokesman for Calabria’s regional authority admitted there had been
"difficulties in the organisation and structure of the inspection
departments" and a computer system to monitor where the money had gone
and how it was being used "was only bought in the second half of last
year". He added: "Before that we do not have any definite records."

Many
of those arrested are also believed to be linked to the notorious
‘Ndrangheta. It was found to have heavily infiltrated the authorities
at Gioia Tauro, a town which asked for money to erect 57 new buildings
employing 1,600 builders. In fact, only six buildings were eventually
constructed.

How joyous that countries like the UK, net payers into the EU budget, are the people coughing up for this.

In a completely unrelated aside, here’s Polly Toynbee on Friday:

What Europe has is rock-solid uncorrupt governance….