Vittorio Sgarbi defends himself against accusations: No conflict of interest. Here's why

No conflict of interest between the position of undersecretary and the many activities (conferences, exhibitions meetings) held around Italy. Undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi defends himself against the accusations of Il Fatto Quotidiano after the articles of the newspaper directed by Marco Travaglio, which, according to Sgarbi, would fully report “the defamatory and slanderous reconstructions of an anonymous letter sent to institutions and newspapers through the fraudulent violation of two e-mail accounts” in use by the art critic’s secretary, “thus making himself an accomplice to the falsehoods contained therein by passing them off as ’facts,’ bringing discredit on my work and that of my collaborators, with irreparable harm in professional and human terms.”

Sgarbi has reiterated his thesis several times, coming out with a couple of press notes, and also defending himself Thursday night on television at the Piazza Pulita program on La7. There is, meanwhile, the reimbursement case. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports, among other things, that Sgarbi allegedly attended a private initiative in Messina and then asked for a state ship to travel to Reggio Calabria the next day. Sgarbi let it be known that “that initiative coincided with others of an exclusively institutional nature, all of which are easily documented: the visit to the Regional Museum of Messina, the visit to some of the city’s churches that hold works of art, the institutional meeting with the mayor of the city of Messina, and the institutional meeting with the regional councillor for Tourism of the Sicilian Region for the planning of joint initiatives. Being an art historian and critic, and at the same time Undersecretary for Culture, certainly cannot be considered an impediment.” Moreover, beyond that, Sgarbi made it known that he had not “asked for and obtained reimbursements. So did the Head of the Secretariat who, by the way, was not even present in Messina due to unforeseen personal circumstances.” On the use of the naval vehicle, authorization for its use “is not at the discretion of the Undersecretary, who in this specific case simply asked the Head of the Secretariat to contact the territorially competent Prefecture to verify whether there was availability of the vehicle. The need to resort to the vehicle was dictated by the need to take a flight in time from the airport of Reggio Calabria to that of Rome Fiumicino, and this in view of the fact that the Undersecretary’s inspections and institutional meetings had extended far beyond the estimated time, such that he could not take a scheduled return flight from Catania airport in time.” Sgarbi also states that he did not request any reimbursement for himself or the head of the secretariat for the September 9 and 10 missions.

As for his activity asa lecturer, the line of Sgarbi’s lawyer, Giampaolo Cicconi, focuses on the fact that book presentations, exhibitions and cultural initiatives of private or public entities do not fall within the scope of activities for which the profile of conflict of interest with institutional commitments can be configured, since these are related to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage and not to enhancement, according to the undersecretary’s lawyer. “It is not clear,” the lawyer wonders, “where the conflict of interest lies between the role of undersecretary and the presentation of an exhibition on Andy Wharol (paid for by private individuals), a Lectio magistralis on Caravaggio (paid for by private individuals), participation in an exhibition of contemporary artists (also paid for by private individuals) or a theater show on Michelangelo (paid for by a municipality).” According to Cicconi, valorization is “any activity aimed at improving the conditions of knowledge and conservation of the cultural heritage and increasing its public enjoyment, so as to transmit the values of which this heritage is the bearer.” Moreover, “protection is the exclusive responsibility of the state, which lays down the rules and issues the administrative measures necessary to guarantee it; valorization is carried out in a concurrent manner between the state and the region, and also provides for the participation of private entities.”

And precisely in order to avoid situations of potential conflict “careful verification is made from time to time, so much so that organizers of exhibitions, conferences and book presentations are contractually asked to declare that these are initiatives that do not enjoy any financial support from the Ministry of Culture, or even just patronage,” Cicconi explains.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has let it be known that he has asked for further checks on the activities of the undersecretary, who in any case reiterates that he is in possession of AgCom documents attesting to the compatibility between his activities and his institutional post. In short, will everything end in a bubble? We shall see...

Vittorio Sgarbi defends himself against accusations: No conflict of interest. Here's why

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