Public Tenders Central Monitoring Authority

The Public Tenders Central Monitoring Authority (Ocap) operates within Unit 1 of Anti-Mafia Investigations Directorate, which is responsible for proactive investigation activities. Through these activities DIA plays a key role in monitoring major public tenders to detect and counter infiltration attempts by organised crime. 

This Authority is tasked with maintaining regular contacts with the Interagency Groups set up at prefectures with a view to acquiring and exchanging monitoring data relating to construction sites – gathered during inspections – by using a special telematic system developed by DIA for its own use. 

This operational methodology makes it possible to have a general overview of those engaged in such businesses at all sites opened nationwide (whether physical or legal persons) thus allowing to detect both illegal procedures involving the fictitious system of ‘bare hire’ used to move around anti-Mafia legislation and the presence in construction sites of personnel and equipment belonging to firms suspected of having connections with organised crime. 

The aim is establishing a centralised control system and carrying out targeted operations on the territory, by developing two action lines involving:
- the improvement of the preventive system by running prior anti-Mafia checks into firms involved in businesses, thus preventing those not complying with the anti-Mafia legislation from being assigned public contracts;
- procedures to protect regular activities at construction sites by preventing any form of criminal pressure on Major Public Works, through inspections combined with enhanced territory controls and the use of video surveillance systems.