Olympic Probe Widens: Ministry of Transport Director Elisabetta Pellegrini Under Investigation

The corruption and administrative investigation overshadowing the preparations for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics has reached the highest echelons of the Italian government. Elisabetta Pellegrini, a prominent director within the Ministry of Transport and the coordinator of the ministry's technical mission structure at Porta Pia, has been officially placed under investigation.

Widely recognized as one of infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini’s most trusted point persons on key dossiers, Pellegrini’s embroilment marks a significant escalation in the ongoing judicial inquiry.

Devices Seized at the Ministry

The probe intensified dramatically yesterday when law enforcement authorities seized Pellegrini’s computers and mobile phones. The acquisition of these digital assets effectively thrusts investigators into the core technical machinery of the Ministry of Infrastructure, led by Salvini. Pellegrini, who was personally appointed by the minister, joins a growing list of high-ranking suspects compiled by the Belluno Prosecutor’s Office. Notable among them is Massimo Fabio Saldini, the CEO of Simico and the Special Commissioner for Olympic Works.

The investigation initially went public in late May 2026, when prosecutors launched coordinated raids across Rome, Milan, Brescia, Naples, and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Flying Squad and Special Operations Unit (SCO) officers entered the headquarters of Simico (the company commissioning the Olympic infrastructure), the offices of contractor Graffer, and the private residences of the primary suspects.

The Ill-Fated Apollonio-Socrepes Lift

At the absolute center of the criminal investigation is the controversial contract for the Apollonio-Socrepes cable car. Intended to transport spectators and skiers directly from the heart of Cortina to the ski slopes, the infrastructure became a symbol of systemic dysfunction when it failed to enter service for the Olympic Games due to an absolute lack of mandatory technical testing.

Investigation Profile

According to the Belluno magistrates, the project was rush-awarded without following standard legal procedures, likely executed in full awareness of the severe delays already accumulated. Investigators are trying to establish if collusive agreements or fraudulent maneuvers explicitly favored Graffer in winning the contract, despite the company knowing that the timeline made it physically impossible to open the lift ahead of the Olympics.

While the cable car was integrated into the broader 98-project Olympic Plan, it was classified as a non-essential sporting project. Originally envisioned as a public-private partnership including a commercial parking lot, the private component collapsed entirely, prompting officials to pivot and proceed solely with public funds for the ski lift.

A Chronology of Failed Tenders

Magistrates are currently tracing a highly irregular administrative timeline through 2025 to pinpoint exactly where the public bidding process may have been manipulated:

• Early 2025: The first public tender for the lift was completely canceled after the names of two confidential bidders were prematurely leaked.

• Mid-2025: A second attempt to host a standard public tender failed to materialize entirely.

• July 8, 2025: Acting in his capacity as special commissioner, Simico CEO Saldini bypassed standard open bidding and initiated an emergency "negotiated procedure," ultimately awarding the lucrative contract to a temporary consortium consisting of Graffer, Dolomiti Strade, and Ecoedile.

With digital evidence from the Ministry of Transport now in the hands of the Flying Squad, prosecutors are meticulously reconstructing this sequence step-by-step. The unfolding judicial drama threatens to cast a prolonged shadow over the legacy of the Milan-Cortina Games and the political machinery running Italy's infrastructure department.