Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials & pharmaceutical company managers under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

[sharon sanders]

machine translation


INVESTIGATION
The secret business of the sale of the virus involving companies and traffickers
April 3, 2014

snip

he IZS Capua and some officials have been entered in the register of suspects for conspiracy to corruption, abuse of office and also for the illegal trafficking of viruses. Same objection for three managers of Merial. Even the husband of Capua, a former manager of the Fort Dodge Animal Aprilia, which manufactures veterinary, is being investigated along with 38 other people.

snip

The investigation was initiated by the American investigators, who have obtained the confessions of Paul Candoli, manager of the Italian branch of Merial, the pathogenic strains of avian illegally shipped to his home in Italy and then sold to U.S. companies. In 2005, the U.S. Homeland Security has forwarded the documents to the NAS Carabinieri, who had already occupied in Bologna of a criminal organization dedicated to the traffic of illegal virus and the production of vaccines


more..

http://espresso.repubblica.it/attual...virus-1.159618

[Emily]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

This smells bad, especially Capua being on the target list. She just got involved in politics recently and could be a target because of that:

http://www.orizzontescuola.it/news/torna-spauracchio-24-ore-ilaria-capua-scelta-civica-tuttoscuola-penso-che-nessun-lavoratore-abb

Google translation.

She is squarely against the proliferation of dangerous viruses:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012...rch-moratorium

Bird Flu Researchers To Meet About Research Moratorium

by
July 24, 2012 5:06 AM ET

...

"The way that I see it is that all the discussions that are ongoing are not really hitting the nail on the head," says , an Italian flu researcher at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, who signed the moratorium.

In her view, if this kind of work continues to get funded and published in the U.S. and Europe, the technology for making mutant flu viruses will get easier and easier, and more and more labs will want to do it.

"And then we have 100, 200 labs around the world which contain in their freezers influenza viruses of high pathogenicity which are transmissible in humans," says Capua. "Is this what we want?"

She notes that this proliferation could increase the risk of a lab accident, especially if work starts getting done in less stable regions of the world where political turmoil or natural disasters could compromise security.

And she is a long-time leader in international collaboration and data sharing for the purpose of public health:
http://hygimia69.blogspot.com/2006/0...swire-622.html

(1a) Scientists launch effort to share avian flu data
Robert Roos News Editor
Aug 25, 2006 (CIDRAP News)

...

According to the Nature news article, Capua started something of a rebellion against the hoarding of avian flu virus data last March, when she put her own H5N1 sequence data into GenBank instead of in the protected database used by WHO-linked labs, and challenged others to do the same.
Capua then collaborated with Bogner, who talked with many scientists and policymakers about the issue, according to the article. Subsequently, the OIE-FAO avian flu expert panel (OFFLU) endorsed the consortium idea...

Is that a crime now?

[Giuseppe]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

The legal positions of the individuals involved in this investigation will be clarified during the trial, if they will be called to testify. Until the jury will decide, they are innocent.

That said, and for the proper information of the Readers, it has to be made clear that the 'l'Espresso' weekly magazine publisher (Carlo Debenedetti) is a strong supporter of current centre-right cabinet. The cabinet has a majority in the parliament sustained by PD (democratic party), NCD (New Centre-Right, formerly part of Mr Berlusconi Party), UDC (The Christian Democrats), SC (Scelta Civica, the Capua party) and by other minor groups. The same Mr. B. party (FI, Forza italia) is involved with the majority in some of the pivotal constitutional reforms planned by the newly appointed Prime Minister, M. Renzi.

As you can see, currently the parliament is on the its overwhelming part backing the new cabinet and there is not in Italy a noticeable opposition force that may disseminate the web with fabricated stories.

Similarly, the Jurisdictional order is not influenced - under constitutional law - to government priorities or the majority influence, as for general knowledge.

It may be that a 'conspiration' cooked in some foreign allies governments is attempting to change the course of the political life in Italy, but as usual, there theories are difficult to prove and for the most part are fabricated as well.

Thus, we have:

-- some high rank health and veterinary officers and researchers under judiciary attention after years of investigations, with the input of US DHS, and the cooperation of drug firms ''deep-throats'';

-- a widely recognized journalist that posted an investigation in a large diffusion weekly magazine, owned by a publisher with clear sympathy for current cabinet, backet even by the party of some of the people involved;

-- the trial has not started and all individuals involved are innocent until it will be proven the contrary;

-- the danger of the activities underscored by the investigation is so great that public opinion has full right to know the extent, the purpose and if these practices are continuing.

-- the conspiration theories are without proof.

-- all the facts described in the journalist report must be proved during a future trial, and thus are without criminal relevance for the people cited and their research work.

We have all the interest to protect researchers' and their work from political influence, but we have also the right to be protected from hazardous and illicit practices. When these two issues will match - freedom of research and public and veterinary health safety - the overall progress of a society is warranted.

gm

[Giuseppe]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

I sent to author (lirio Abbate) these tweets:

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic We're concerned. Pls makes FluBlogia aware on these safety issue, if proven.

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic Pharma Cos have big interests in biologicals but public health is always at risk w/ AI

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic We've seen the effect of AIV of humans: very ill patients, often w/ fatal outcome.

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic After half dozen of years past on the track of these scourges, we want to know.

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic The multifaceted flublogia world wants to know if this is smear campaign.

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic I put it clear: suspicion of political influence.

ironorehopper @ironorehopper
@LirioAbbate @FluTrackers I have to say that the so-called 'flublogia' is skeptical about this investigation. @Fla_Medic

...

[Emily]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

http://noemalab.eu/memo/events/kurtz...-year-charges/

http://caedefensefund.org/releases/cleared_6_11_08.html

Dr. Kurtz has been fighting the charges ever since. In October 2007, Dr. Ferrell pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge after recurring bouts of cancer and three strokes suffered since his indictment prevented him from continuing the struggle.

KURTZ SUMS UP END OF FOUR-YEAR NIGHTMARE

Finally vindicated after four years of struggle, Kurtz, asked for a statement, responded stoically: "I don't have a statement, but I do have questions. As an innocent man, where do I go to get back the four years the Department of Justice stole from me? As a taxpayer, where do I go to get back the millions of dollars the FBI and Justice Department wasted persecuting me? And as a citizen, what must I do to have a Justice Department free of partisan corruption so profound it has turned on those it is sworn to protect?"

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[Giuseppe]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

Publicly received this reply by the article author, Lirio Abbate:

Lirio Abbate @LirioAbbate

@ironorehopper @LetiziaPuccioni @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic

''the intercepts are clear. Show private interests. And danger to public health.''

____

We will see how the trial will develop... GM

[sharon sanders]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

He just insulted us. lol

Lirio Abbate @LirioAbbate 24m
@ironorehopper @LetiziaPuccioni @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic Look what's behind the window. Not incantatevi by the glitter of the items for sale


I find people who do not have the facts try to win the argument with emotion.

As far as I can see this event happened 9 years ago and is being brought for prosecution now. I would like to read the longer article that is supposed to be published today. I still only see the "teaser" article from yesterday. Does anyone have the link to the article for today?

[Giuseppe]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

The article is under paywall on the 'Espresso' magazine website... But perhaps you can ask the author for a longer synopsis. I think he will be amazed in seeing how US audience is interested in his work.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

Ok, I asked him to lift the paywall on that article. Many other writers/publishers have done this when an article addresses a serious public health issue.

If there are credible accusations that 40ish people, are or have been, sending dangerous pathogens via mail then we have a right to know about it. It would be a grievous betrayal of the public trust by anyone who participated in such actions.

If these allegations are not able to stand the focus of the world's attention, then this needs to be known too.

[tetano]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

The full italian article (with many errors in the text ):

http://www.scienzainrete.it/documenti/rs/trafficanti-di-virus/aprile-2014

[sharon sanders]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

I have read the text and it appears this article is talking about an "isolates for sale" conspiracy between some genetics workers and pharma companies. It reads like a "B" rated movie.

Honestly - it is so hard to know what to think in this era of extreme greed. We have seen so many people and governments try to profit from disease and security threats that it is overwhelming. Everyone, it seems, has their hand out for some cash and/or control.

Even many respected media outlets, in an effort to boost dwindling profit margins, have resorted to "yellow journalism".

Pharma....well....profit for their shareholders is their number one mandate, like most companies. Let your imagine run with that in this era of shrinking government budgets and tight economy.

Governments....totally out of control. Regular citizens like us are slaves to the status quo.

In the end, we must depend on a jury of fair minded individuals to judge the evidence and render a fair decision - a group that (hopefully) has no profit incentive in the outcome.

[Emily]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

He just insulted us. lol

Lirio Abbate @LirioAbbate 24m
@ironorehopper @LetiziaPuccioni @FluTrackers @Fla_Medic Look what's behind the window. Not incantatevi by the glitter of the items for sale


I find people who do not have the facts try to win the argument with emotion.

As far as I can see this event happened 9 years ago and is being brought for prosecution now. I would like to read the longer article that is supposed to be published today. I still only see the "teaser" article from yesterday. Does anyone have the link to the article for today?

He may have thought we had a negative impression of his journalism, which was certainly not the case. My concern arose when I read that the U.S. was the source of the investigation and I remembered the Kurtz and Ferrell witch hunt.

I read the article via Google translate by copying it out of the PDF Tentano found. (Thanks! ) I'm 100% in supportive of investigative journalism and the article raises important issues about government spending based on risk assessments and how they are done.

But the other allegations bear watching. I'm glad to see others are raising questions:

http://www.scienzainrete.it/contenut...ne/aprile-2014
Google translation:

Inchiesta Investigation
Trade Virus: international intrigue or fuss?
Luke Carra
Agency Zadig

Flu virus mailed in envelopes anonymous. Trafficking of illicit money, huge risks to public health. L'Espresso lance poking the alarm in the papers of an ongoing investigation of the NAS and the Prosecutor of Rome, which involves Ilaria Capua, a biologist of renown international, award-winning promoter of initiative to share the genomes of influenza virus, in order to make more effective the response of the global health threat of a pandemic. Surreal picture that emerges from the anticipation of today's Roman investigation, where it appears that the virologist, along with her husband and 38 other commerciasse virus in bypassing the security standards for personal economic interests.

But what is the reality? Judging from what is already in the public domain, however, showed that between 1999 and 2004 (the period on which we focus our investigation and expressively told earlier today) Northern Italy has been hit by successive outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry. So it's not H5N1, as it seems to emerge from the investigation, and not of avian viruses potentially transmissible to humans. The virus in question, in reality (especially the family H7) have had devastating effects only on the domestic poultry population, and could not be otherwise. To deal with these epidemics' s Institute Zooprofilattico delle Venezie (which is the national reference laboratory for this disease and its mission deals with the diagnosis of the disease) has developed a vaccination strategy that has been authorized by the Ministry of Health and the European Commission.

The vaccination led to the eradication of the infection, where the alternative to vaccination would be the slaughter of millions of animals. The vaccines have been developed with strains isolated from the Institute of Padua and provided, according to the practice regulated in an official manner, to pharmaceutical companies. All documentation on the provision of these viral strains - say in Padua - is preserved at the Institute zooprofilattico. And the fees for the provision of strains were granted to the Institute and the Capua has never received any compensation for the strains isolated and characterized as their property is the Institute and this activity is within the institutional tasks.

But we are only at the beginning of the scandal, or fuss. And Capua probably now asks those who wanted to attack me? And for what reason?
April 3, 2014

http://commonsandeconomics.org/2013/...ommons-part-1/

A critical look at the open science commons (part 1)
* Book: Biohackers. The Politics of Open Science. Alessandro Delfanti. Pluto Press, 2013.
...

?The three cases I present in this book are meant to exemplify the many different directions open biology is taking. Craig Venter, the US biologist known for his role in genetics? commercialisation and subjection to secrecy and intellectual property rights, sailed the world?s oceans in order to collect genomics data and information he would then, for the first time, share publicly through open access databases and journals. The Italian virologist Ilaria Capua challenged the World Health Organization?s policies on access to influenza data by refusing the institution?s offers to upload its research group?s data on avian influenza genomics on a password-protected database.

http://air.unimi.it/bitstream/2434/1...imi_R07477.pdf

GENOME HACKERS
REBEL BIOLOGY, OPEN SOURCE AND SCIENCE ETHIC
di Alessandro Delfanti
Relatore: Prof. Adam Arvidsson
Coordinatore del dottorato: Prof.ssa Paola Gario
A.A. 2009/2010

...

But I suggest that Capua is not only another rebel scientist. Instead, she embodies a new and emerging figure of the scientist, one who uses some open source and open access tools more attuned to the current configuration of science and society relations. Yet at the same time she is not only an open access advocate. The call for the use of open source tools does not apply to every layer of the information environment she lives within, and it is always coupled with her rebellion against bureaucracy and her claims of independence from both academic and corporate institutions.
In the narratives that depict her role in the birth of GISAID, several classic topoi recur, such as autonomy, independence, openness. But alongside these, other characteristics emerge: a radical refusal of external interferences and also of scientific institutions themselves; a component of hedonism; the insistence on bare information as a good per se, as long as it is shared and accessible; the importance of being an underdog; an intense relationship with the media. Finally, Capua rebels against the mechanisms of publishing and peer review of scientific knowledge in the name of a form of cooperation that is directly enacted between scientists and not mediated by institutions.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

Even though I. Capua was a founder of GISAID, her association was apparently terminated by the rulers of GISAID in 2013 on the day she started in the Parliament.

http://www.vicenzatoday.it/politica/ilaria-capua-parlamento-attacco-strumentale.html

[Emily]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

Italia: terra di pizza, mandolino e ? virus?
Google translation: Italy: land of pizza, mandolin and ... virus?

...

The investigation of the court of Rome are just beginning and it will take some time to get clear answers, given the accusations that go up to involve the World Health Organization.

[Emily]

Re: Italy - Media report: Approximately 40 officials under investigation for corruption, abuse of office, and illegal trafficking of viruses - including, allegedly, avian - I. Capua denies allegations

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/34...4-8421d4798f89

Science 5 September 2014:
Vol. 345 no. 6201 pp. 1105-1106
DOI: 10.1126/science.345.6201.1105

Italy
Police claim leading flu researcher illegally sold virus

Laura Margottini*,?

In an unpublished report that is the culmination of 10 years of investigation, Italian police claim that a "criminal organization," which included scientists, company executives, veterinarians, and government officials, has colluded to profit financially from Italy's battle with avian influenza. Among other things, the report claims that the members of the organization smuggled influenza viruses into Italy, sold viruses illegally, produced and sold an illegal vaccine, and attempted to spread avian influenza to create a market for the vaccine. Among the accused is Ilaria Capua, a prominent scientist who is now a member of the Italian Parliament; Capua denies the charges. A prosecutor must now decide whether to bring the case to trial.