Verona, Nov. 6 (LaPresse) – “Am I worried about the appeal to the Constitutional Court regarding the legal nature of the Milan-Cortina Foundation? If I say I’m worried, many others will be worried too; if I say I’m not, that would be wrong. Let me make a reflection: I have never thought that we had a different legal nature, because from the very beginning the State Attorney’s Office supported the view that we were private entities.”
So said Giovanni Malagò, president of the Milan-Cortina Foundation, on the sidelines of the presentation of the closing ceremony of the Winter Games at the Verona Arena, commenting on the decision of Milan investigating judge Patrizia Nobile to refer to the Constitutional Court the documents from the Milan Prosecutor’s Office’s investigation into bid rigging and corruption related to the Foundation’s ‘digital’ tenders and contracts. The judge has asked the Court to rule on the constitutionality of the so-called “Save the Olympics” law, which in the summer of 2024—after the investigation had already begun—defined the Foundation’s nature as private. “The structure of our budget is supported by private revenue. The IOC is certainly a private association and alone accounts for roughly 40% of the budget. Then there are sponsorships, marketing activities, ticketing, and merchandising. So, full respect for the judiciary, but also the awareness supported by a state law,” he added. “I don’t think there has ever been an important event without public involvement, and still today many sporting events see the participation of the government, local authorities, the Olympic and Paralympic committees, or the automobile club. The government itself has reaffirmed its awareness of our work,” Malagò concluded.
Milan-Cortina, Malagò: “I respect the judiciary, but the Foundation has always had a private nature”
