Five arrested in gas plant corruption probe

Italian police arrested five people today, including a local British Gas manager, in a corruption probe into the firm’s construction of a gas plant in southern Italy.

The five people were arrested at dawn by police across Italy, and include the current chairman of BG Italia, the group’s Italian arm, and two former managers, according to financial police in the southern port town of Brindisi.

Police spokesman Massimiliano Tibollo said prosecutors believe chairman Franco Fassio, former chairman Yvonne Barton and former CEO Fabio Fontana paid bribes to local administrators to speed up the go-ahead for the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal in Brindisi.

Ms Barton, who is British, and Fontana were placed under house arrest, while Mr Fassio was jailed along with a former Brindisi mayor and a local businessman.

Police also conducted 52 searches across Italy and seized the terminal’s construction site, Mr Tibollo said.

The Italian government authorised the project in 2003 and British Gas had previously said it planned to start up the terminal in 2009.

“As far as we’re concerned we had the full and valid authorisation,” said BG spokesman Neil Burrows.