Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini, the former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, has been detained in Rome in connection with an investigation into the alleged illegal issuance of Schengen visas to Russian citizens through the embassy in Tashkent, La Repubblica reported.
Reportedly, a former employee, Tatyana Tarakanova—a Russian ethnicity with Italian nationality residing in Bulgaria—is also a key figure in the case. The Rome Prosecutor's Office suspects both individuals of aiding illegal immigration and committing official corruption.
Papadia assumed his role as the head of the Italian mission in Tashkent on December 2, 2024. According to the former head of the embassy’s visa department, the ambassador took direct control of visa operations shortly after his arrival and ordered the recruitment of Tarakanova, with whom he had previously worked at the Italian consulate in Moscow.
Investigators allege that Papadia and Tarakanova orchestrated a scheme to issue long-term tourist visas—valid for one to three years—to Russian nationals who did not meet Schengen entry requirements. The investigation claims that applicants were charged between €4,000 and €16,000 per person, far exceeding the official processing fees of €45 to €60.
La Repubblica notes that three Moscow-based travel agencies - Happy Travel, Visa4you, and Park Lane, all operating from the same address—were allegedly involved. Prosecutors believe at least 95 Russian citizens used these agencies to obtain visas and enter Italy without legitimate grounds.
Documented irregularities reportedly include applicants not residing within the consular district (Uzbekistan), unsigned documents, signatures that did not match passports, and the circumvention of the requirement for applicants to appear in person at the consulate.
According to the investigation, a portion of the applications were submitted via Telegram, where they were reportedly referred to as "off-list" requests.
The probe was triggered by an audit from the General Inspectorate of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, conducted at the embassy on July 23, 2025. Inspectors uncovered irregularities in visa files that investigators directly link to the head of the mission. La Repubblica reports that Papadia had personally marked several documents with "OK" alongside his signature.
The audit revealed that out of 92 visa files examined, 81 of the Russian applicants were missing from the embassy's visitor logs. For investigators, this strongly suggests that the applicants never appeared in person.
Authorities are also scrutinizing transfers made to Tarakanova. The outlet reports that Visa Concord Travel—a company known to Papadia since 2014—transferred €23,600 to her Bulgarian bank account between January and June 2025. While officially documented as an interest-bearing loan, investigators believe this was a sham justification for illicit payments.
One of the case's most damning pieces of evidence, according to La Repubblica, is a recorded conversation between Papadia and his deputy, Marco Esposto, during the ministerial audit. When Esposto asked if he had done it "for the money," Papadia replied, "I needed it." The prosecution views this statement as a confession that corroborates the existing evidence.
Papadia has contested this interpretation, arguing the recording must be viewed in context. He claims the conversation occurred while inspectors were in the next room, leaving him in a state of "extreme anxiety, if not vulnerability," and that he was merely trying to pacify Esposto.
The decision to detain the former ambassador was influenced by a perceived flight risk; investigators claim Papadia had inquired about obtaining a visa for Russia. Currently, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Financial Guard are reviewing approximately 400 visa files and investigating Papadia’s assets, valued at roughly €3 million. He maintains that his wealth was inherited.
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