What happened to the golden key of Pompeii, valued at around 12,000 euros, donated by Carmine Lo Sapio, mayor of Pompeii, to Gennaro Sangiuliano when he was a minister? This was revealed in an unpublished document signed by the then Minister of Culture, which will be presented exclusively by Alessandro Sortino in the program “Le Iene”, broadcast tomorrow, Sunday 27 October, on Italia1.

The investigations into the relationship between Gennaro Sangiuliano and Maria Rosaria Boccia, an unnamed consultant to the ministry, are currently being conducted by Rome’s public prosecutors. According to Le Iene, a new case has been opened regarding the golden key, which the Court of Auditors is also investigating. In addition, Pompeii city council employees have reportedly already provided statements to the Carabinieri of the investigative unit. A city secretary confirmed: “We were all questioned; we went to the Prosecutor’s Office for the Boccia case.”

Previously, the golden key had also been given to Sangiuliano’s predecessor, Dario Franceschini. The law states that a minister can only keep a gift if its value is less than 300 euros; otherwise it must be returned to the public administration. The Le Iene report states that Franceschini kept the key for three years and returned it only after the scandal involving Sangiuliano because he thought it was a worthless object. Franceschini said: “I spoke to the jeweler and he confirmed the existence of a certificate of guarantee”, adding that he never opened it and took it home along with other similar documents.

The jeweler stressed that it was impossible not to recognize the value of the object: “There were jewels and precious stones”. Franceschini then concluded by saying: “When I learned of the real value of the key I returned it”, while the goldsmith who made the key stated that it was obvious how valuable it was: “If anyone thought it was a fake, they offend me! It was certified and everything was documented”.

Sangiuliano tried to distance himself from this situation by stating through statements reported by the press: “The key is registered at the ministry together with the other gifts”. However, Maria Rosaria Boccia raised doubts about its destination by replying to Federico Monga: “Show me this registered key”.

In the exclusive document drawn up by Sangiuliano, it is written that he believed that the object with his initials had a value well below the 300 euros required by law for its return to the public administration. Despite this, even though he recognized the value of the object with precious stones set in gold, Sangiuliano should have returned it.

The document continues by saying: “I do not have access to the key… It appears to be in the possession of Mrs. Boccia Maria Rosaria”. Furthermore