An Italian parliamentary committee investigating the 2013 death of David Rossi, former communications chief at Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), has alleged that the bank’s ex-chair Giuseppe Mussari ordered an intimidation campaign that ultimately led to Rossi’s death. The committee’s findings, shared publicly by Gianluca Vinci, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party and chair of the committee, suggest that Mussari was implicated as the instigator of an act initially meant to frighten Rossi but which escalated into his fatal fall.

Rossi died after falling from a window in his office at the Siena headquarters of MPS, Italy’s oldest bank, in a case that investigators and prosecutors concluded was suicide. At the time, the bank was embroiled in financial and legal troubles, including a major scandal associated with its acquisition of Antonveneta from Spain’s Santander bank in 2007. A note found in Rossi’s office reportedly contained the phrase, “I have done something stupid,” and CCTV footage captured one or two men inspecting Rossi’s body on the street but failing to alert emergency services.

The parliamentary committee’s claims include statements from witnesses alleging Mussari’s involvement alongside an unidentified individual described as a prominent figure in Florence’s football community, who allegedly selected the individuals tasked with confronting Rossi. “They were afraid Rossi might talk... The intention was merely to frighten him, but events then escalated into murder,” one witness statement read. The committee clarified that it is forwarding its findings to prosecutors, as investigating the individuals named in the testimonies is beyond its mandate.

Mussari, who currently works as a partner in a law firm in Catanzaro, southern Italy, denied the allegations in a television interview, describing them as defamatory and vowing to defend his reputation in court.

At the time of Rossi’s death, both he and Mussari had been subjects of police searches related to ongoing investigations into irregularities at MPS. While Rossi was not under formal investigation, Mussari and other former MPS executives faced charges tied to accounting irregularities and market manipulation aimed at hiding losses associated with the Antonveneta acquisition. Mussari was initially sentenced to over seven years in prison in 2019 but was acquitted in 2023.

Rossi’s family has long disputed the official conclusion of suicide and has persistently called for the case to be reopened, citing concerns over the circumstances surrounding his death. The parliamentary committee’s recent revelations add a new layer of complexity to a case that has remained a focus of public and legal scrutiny in Italy.