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Italian police have arrested a woman on suspicion of playing a major role in laundering around 61 million euros (approximately $70 million) embezzled from Caritas Luxembourg.
The 41-year-old suspect was detained in northwestern Rome, Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper reported June 5, in connection with the scandal, which led to the effective dissolution of the Catholic charity founded in 1932.
Fraudsters are believed to have extracted an estimated 61 million euros from the charity in more than 100 transactions of less than 500,000 euros ($579,000) between February and July 2024.
The suspect, identified as Clarissa La Porta, was wanted under a European Arrest Warrant issued by judicial authorities in Luxembourg on suspicion of forging documents, fraud, criminal association, and money laundering.
Investigators allege that she created shell companies and bank accounts in countries including Austria, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden, and falsified accounting and corporate documents to help launder funds embezzled from Caritas Luxembourg. They consider her to be a trusted associate of a leader of an unnamed criminal organization.
La Porta, who is originally from Turin, has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Corriere della Sera said that investigators believed she was preparing to leave
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