Rome faces low-sum rental scandal

Italy's capital Rome has been hit by a new scandal of alleged political patronage in which at least 574 luxury flats in the city center have been rented out for dramatically lower sums than the minimum market value.

As a prefect appointed by the government to take control of Rome after former mayor Ignazio Marino was forced to step down amid an expense scandal last October, Rome Commissioner Francesco Paolo Tronca on Wednesday told Rai state television that he was intentioned to get to the bottom of the issue.

Tronca earlier this week had denounced incredible cases including an apartment in a historic district near the Vatican City in the heart of Rome being rented out at 10.29 euros (11.36 U.S. dollars) a month and another one with a view over the Imperial Fora ruins rented at 23.65 euros a month.

"It is an ethical question," Tronca said, highlighting that the public losses from the failure to get reasonable rents from these prestigious properties of the council's portfolio could amount to as much as over 100 million euros a year.

The commissioner's team suspected that Rome council officials were renting out to allies and friends flats which prices would have been sky-high on the open market. The commissioner said investigators will check the properties in search of illegality and abuse of office.

Tronca said he was "astounded" to find out that the council was lacking a full census of its rented properties when he was put in charge of Rome, which created some doubts in his mind and led him to uncover the scandal, according to ANSA news agency.

In late 2014 the Italian capital was hit by another scandal which saw dozens of council officials allegedly colluded with criminals in a series of illegal activities stretching to many public sectors including refugee centers, waste disposal, recycling services and maintenance of public green area. (1 euro=1.10 U.S. dollars) Endit