ABSTRACT: Update of text No. 17 on the question of the bribes paid for the sale to Iraq on the part of the Cantieri Navali Riuniti (Italy) of an entire war fleet.

$ 13 million cashed in by the Christian democratic president of the Fincantieri and by an Italian social democratic exponent.

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The $ 12,900,000 dollars destined to the Overseas Shoe Corporation, officially owned by Merhej Al Talal, were to be paid on an account of the Swiss Bank in Zürich, also in the name of the same company. But in fact they ended in an account in the same bank in the name of the Kapital Beratungs A.G., which administered it on behalf of the Overseas Shoe Corporation. At the order of Rocco Basilico, the then president of the Fincantieri (a Christian democrat) and member of the board of the Kapital Beratungs, the money was then drawn in the shape of eight bearer cheques and handed over to him. Basilico then deposited them on two more accounts, specially opened for this operation. Account No. 254269-12, code name "Monsieur Wan Dartur" at the Swiss Bank of Zürich, in the name of Basilico himself. And account No. 8020, code name "Fashions", at the Hoffman Bank in Zürich, in the name of Giovanni Moroni (who died recently), member of the European parliament and former vice secretary of the Italian Social Democratic Part

y at the time of Pietro Longo, and of his son Stefano. Three cheques for a total amount of $ 5,209,000 were deposited on the first account. Three more cheques amounting to $ 5,259,000 were deposited on the second account. No one knows what happened of the other two cheques.

Following is a reconstruction of the bribes, made by the Public prosecutor's assistant in Genua, Massimo Terrile, who re-opened the inquiry and is investigating Basilico and Moroni's son for corruption: on 17 June 1981, the Minister of Foreign Trade Capria (Socialist Party) authorized the payment of the $ 180 billion bribe: on 9 June the Cantieri Navali Riuniti authorized the Banca Commerciale of Genua to pay the $ 12,9 million officially destined to the Overseas Shoe Corporation. On 18 June, the payment is made on the Swiss Bank of Zürich, managed by the Kapital Beratungs on behalf od Rocco Basilico. The latter, through the Kapital Beratungs, on 22 June orders the bank to issue eight bearer cheques. The following day, he opens an account at the Swiss Bank, while on 28 June Giovanni Moroni opens his account at the Hoffman Bank. On the first account, Basilico deposits three cheques for a total of $ 5,209,000, and three more cheques for $ 5,259,000 on the second account.

According to the magistrate, who asked so in his rogatory letter to his Swiss colleagues, the $ 12,900,000 were a sort of "bribe on the bribe"; in other words, they were paid to make accessible the far bigger bribe amounting to $ 180 billion. His suspicions focus on Italian politicians and - above all - on the minister of foreign trade.