Italy’s prime minister, Georgia Meloni’s planned to go ahead with the auction of gifts she received during her time in office collapsed before it even began, as the auction house chosen for the process became involved in a criminal investigation.

The firm in question was Bertolami Fine Art, which had been in charge of the auction and is under the microscope of the authorities as part of a long-running investigation into alleged illegal trafficking of archaeological objects. According to Italian media, the founder and owner of the firm has been suspended as part of the same case.

Prosecutors allege that a network of traffickers stole archaeological objects and channeled them through auction houses, including Bertolami, with the aim of “legalizing” the objects and reintroducing them into the legitimate art market. For its part, Bertolami has previously denied any involvement in illegal activities.

According to Politico, Meloni’s office said it had no knowledge of the investigation at the time the house was selected, noting that the case was covered by judicial privilege. Palazzo Quizzi clarified that it immediately ceased all cooperation with the auction house once the details of the investigation were revealed by Il Fatto Quotidiano.

According to Italian law, the current prime minister is not allowed to keep personal gifts received from foreign leaders if their value exceeds 300 euros. For this reason, most of these items are kept in a specially designed and secure area in Palazzo Quiji and are not on display to the public, and there is no official public register of them.

Some of the gifts Meloni has received, however, have generated public interest. These include an action figure offered to her by Argentina’s President Javier Millay. A diamond necklace was given to her during her official visit to Uzbekistan in January 2023 by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The auction, which was eventually cancelled, was estimated to fetch around 800,000 euros. Most of the proceeds had been earmarked to go to charities, while a smaller percentage would have covered the auction house’s expenses and fees.