Cyprus is again in the eye of the storm after a new political controversy was sparked in Italy concerning a Russian oligarch who controls the ownership of Grosseto airport – a civilian one located, however, within a military base.
And this is something that raises an issue of national safety for the EU-member state.
State-owned public broadcaster RAI3 TV show “Report” was the one to air this week the investigative story which also revealed that the airport’s owning company is registered in Nicosia.
“In 2014 and until November 2018, the first shareholder of the Grosseto airport became Ilca, a Srl of Florence which owns 26% of Seam. To understand who the owner is, however, you have to fly to Cyprus,” the report said.
“In fact, 100% of Ilca belongs to a Nicosia company, Plutoworld Limited. From there it goes up to Moscow, to Aeon Infrastructure, the owner is Roman Trotsenko, 51, a tycoon who controls 14 airports in Russia,” it added.
Grosseto airport carries out civilian flights but its corridors are also used by the Italian air force. One of the report’s investigative journalist sarcastically pointed out: “military euro-fighters take off from Grosseto airport for reconnaissance aimed at defending our airspace.”
