Two Italian diplomats, a Bangladeshi businessman, and an associate are facing charges in Italian courts for a visa-selling scheme at the Italian embassy in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The proceedings began on October 15th in Rome. according to the newspaper il Giornale.
The complaint came from Italian MP Andrea di Giuseppe, elected abroad by the Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party. The MP was approached by businessman Islam Nazrul, owner of a restaurant in Rome, who tried to bribe him. Upon his refusal, Di Giuseppe reported the case to the authorities.
• Cases affected by the decree
• Delays at the town hall and consulate
• Customized legal strategy
The Public Prosecutor's Office has included the congressman as a civil party in the case. "At the next hearing on October 21st, prosecutors are expected to reformulate the charges," said lawyer Antonio Di Pietro, a former prosecutor in Operation Clean Hands.
Scheme yielded millions
The investigation began in March 2023 and found that diplomats Nicola Muscatello and Roberto Albergo had facilitated the illegal entry of Bangladeshis into Italy. In exchange, they received money, travel tickets, and investments in the United Arab Emirates.
The evidence was gathered by the Finance Guard, which intercepted phone calls and filmed meetings between those involved. The practice included fake employment letters, used to justify the granting of visas.
The fee charged for visas ranged from €7 to €15. A network of accomplices, including forgers and recruiters, secured the forged documents.
Impact on migration policy
The investigation revealed that many of the immigrants entered Italy with work visas but were exploited by illegal labor networks, especially in the south of the country. The case reinforced Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's decision to reform the so-called "Flussi Decree," which regulates the entry of foreign workers.
Meloni even denounced the misuse of "click day"—a digital visa application system—as a strategy to circumvent immigration controls. In regions like Campania, less than 3% of requested contracts were actually registered.
Tajani criticizes descendants, but scandals occur under his management
Since taking over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, popularly known as Farnesina, Antonio Tajani has been one of the harshest critics of granting Italian citizenship to South American descendants, especially Brazilians. In recent statements, he said that "many only want an Italian passport to go to Miami," questioning the applicants' intentions.
At the same time, while legal recognition processes were hampered by regulatory changes and bureaucratic obstacles, serious cases of corruption were identified precisely within the agency that Tajani heads. The scandal of illegally sold visas in Bangladesh occurred under the structure of the Farnesina — the chancellery he headed.
According to Islam Nazrul, the scheme operated until January 2023 under the supervision of Muscatello, who was replaced by Albergo. Both deny involvement. Given the evidence gathered during the investigation, Nazrul decided to cooperate, admitting his involvement in an attempt to reduce his sentence.
