Guardia di Finanza

Over the past two decades, Stock Exchanges and large banks have increasingly consolidated their scope of activity worldwide, with the development of information technology.

These changes are certainly good news for everyone, but they have also been beneficial to stock jobbers: those who buy or sell large quantities of shares or currency exclusively for profit, in an attempt to influence supply and demand.

The same financial markets are also exploited by the criminal organisations that invest illegal capital to make "lawful" profits.

In this context, the Guardia di Finanza operates as an investigative body to protect the "capital market" and ensure the country's economic security, identifying illegal capital before it goes on to pollute the legitimate economic system.

Particular attention is paid to transactions that are carried out to finance terrorism; the transfer of these funds is made through channels and methods that escape regular control procedures.

Inspection in this area makes it possible to regulate the banking system, the stock market, and financial operators protecting, therefore, the interests of savers.

Alongside official financial markets, channels for illegal financing do exist in which the practice of usury thrives as a means of polluting the economic fabric.

The effort to protect the capital market finally involves carrying out corruption investigations in the financial, corporate, and trading sectors.

The Guardia di Finanza investigates companies listed on the stock market or otherwise, checks the accuracy of their financial statements and other corporate reports, and looks at the conduct of those in positions of authority towards shareholders, staff, creditors, and the market in general.

The Corps collaborates with the authorities responsible for the surveillance of the regulated markets, namely the Bank of Italy, the Financial Services Agency (CONSOB), the Italian Monopolies and Mergers Commission (Antitrust), the Supervisory Body for Private Insurance (ISVAP) and the Supervisory Body for Pension Funds (COVIP).