“This time too, a miracle is needed on the part of President Occhiuto. The disaster of the Terina Foundation affair risks exposing it to a liquidation procedure, with repercussions not only on the employees, but also on the economy and on the development and research activities of the Calabrian territory “. The regional councilor says it Antonello Talerico which continues: “The debt exposure of the Terina Foundation starts from afar and, in particular from that project supported by the ERDF which was aimed at financing the structural and infrastructural strengthening of the Universities and public research bodies for an initial amount of approximately 14, 6 million euros, then partially revoked following the outcome of the checks by the first level Control Unit of the MIUR, which with DD no. 962 of 04.19.2018, ordered the recovery of approximately 1 million euros and redetermined, reducing it, the financing of approximately 11 million euros (compared to approximately 14.6 million original euros).
Subsequently – continues Talerico – a debt of around 11 million euros was registered by the MIUR, which forced Terina Foundation to propose an urgent procedure before the Court of Rome in 2022 with which the suspension of the collection of approximately 11 million euros was requested. The fate of this judgment (the last hearing for the clarification of the conclusions is scheduled for 8 May 2024) does not bode well, as the Roman court not only rejected all requests for evidence from the Terina Foundation, but also essentially excluding the fumus (i.e. the abstract hypothesis of acceptance of the defense theories), also overwhelming the question of the dismissal of the criminal proceedings for certain positions and, rather noting that all those serious irregularities ascertained by the Financial Police exist and, which make the opposing collection measure is legitimate.
Well – writes Talerico – the original project which was supposed to allow Calabria a structural and infrastructural strengthening of the universities and research bodies has turned into a total failure due to poor management execution of the project already financed with 11 million euros. In fact, the reasons for the Terina Foundation disaster date back to the year 2012, the date in which the project already admitted for funding was managed by a managerial, bureaucratic and political apparatus that was unable to govern the project, nor the financing, producing rather irregular, flawed and technically incorrect management over the years, transforming an original economic and development opportunity for Calabria into a debt for all Calabrian citizens!
Lastly – he continues – the settlement proposal formulated by the Terina Foundation, by some management bodies who probably did not carefully read the documents, was considered completely incorrect as a proposal was formulated confusing the issues related to DD n. 962 of 04.19.2018 (redetermination of the original financing) with what is the subject of the civil litigation pending before the Court of Rome (concerning the request for suspension of the collection measure).
This erroneous administrative management and the usual errors of the bureaucratic apparatus which do not adequately support the action of the executive and politics, has determined the state the impossibility of a settlement, with the risk for the Terina Foundation of incurring a liquidation procedure after the outcome of the judgment pending before the Roman court.
The affair of the Terina Foundation – he continues – demonstrates once again that there are pockets of management apparatus, which should support the regional executive, but which unfortunately, by not studying the problems, are unable to resolve them. Despite this, no one has ever paid for it, for the many errors, for the serious irregularities.
If the competent offices had taken the matter to heart without underestimating it for many years, today we would have a fully functioning research structure and not a series of very expensive laboratories paid for by millions of euros and left unused. And this is very serious because its laboratories are an extraordinary resource for a land that aims for quality agri-food
Terina’s technology – he explains – is unique in the safety of food products, in the technological innovation that it can bring to an entire sector, but strangely it hasn’t been made to work for years, there is someone in the Region who doesn’t even know it, a scandal in the scandal.
Here because The Terina Foundation is a victim of bureaucratic sloppiness and this is why a total reset and a check on previous and current responsibilities are required. The managers and all those with skills must assume all responsibility (for which they are generously remunerated) and identify technical solutions and indications to save the Terina Foundation! For example, why in all these years has no one bothered to implement the provisions of the art. 13 of the sub-government reorganization law approved way back in 2013?
A text that speaks precisely of the reform of the Research Foundation in full respect of its employment levels.
It contains two rules which, if someone had at least read (and perhaps studied) would have contributed to realizing the potential that the research body had set itself.
Not to mention those provisions which – he continues – provide for the right to allocate a portion of personnel to bodies in the region which, for various reasons, will acquire real estate assets of the same region, such as for example the use by Film Commission of part of the conference and training complex that the regional foundation manages on the basis of a loan stipulated between the region and the old Terina board of directors at the time of the Loiero council.
The solutions therefore – concludes Talerico – they are there and can be found in the laws, or in an emergency regulation that also goes beyond the commissionership. It should be added that a judgment is pending before the Court of Lamezia against the former President of Terina who was removed due to a highly contested incompatibility with the position of Citizen Secretary of the Democratic Party. Here on this point I would also like to know the opinion of the centre-left, who despite the very serious responsibilities coming from within them have “disappeared”. But that’s another story…
In any case, I am sure that President Occhiuto will be able to intervene to clarify things, to sanction those responsible for this disaster and to save the Terina Foundation”.