Italian tax police have raided the offices of Milan‘s city council as part of an ongoing investigation into the controversial sale of the iconic San Siro stadium.
The arena, home to Serie A giants AC Milan and Inter Milan, was sold by the council last year, with plans for its demolition and replacement.
Prosecutors in Milan are reportedly investigating approximately a dozen individuals on suspicion of bid-rigging and the disclosure of official secrets.
Sources close to the inquiry revealed that police seized computers and mobile phones during Tuesday’s operation.
The core of the investigation centres on whether the stadium’s sale was structured to benefit private interests, particularly through area redevelopment, potentially at the expense of public good.
The Guardia di Finanza police also conducted searches at the premises of M-I Stadio Srl, the company jointly owned by AC Milan and Inter Milan responsible for managing San Siro.
Additionally, the offices and homes of two former city councillors, a city hall manager, a former municipal executive, and various former managers and consultants associated with the two football clubs were targeted.
The city council had approved the sale of San Siro and its surrounding land to the clubs for €197 million (£171 million), paving the way for a €1.5 billion (£1.3 billion) redevelopment scheme.
This current probe is understood to be an offshoot of a wider urban planning investigation that led to several arrests last year, though these were subsequently overturned by Italy’s Supreme Court.
Milan city council, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and M-I Stadio have not yet provided immediate comment on the developments.
Despite its sale last year, San Siro remains an iconic stadium worldwide and was used for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony last month.
AC Milan and Inter Milan both still play their home games at the venue.