Lockheed Corporation Aluminum Plane, Gift to Sergio Duilio Fanali, 1969

Large and exclusive aluminum model of the L-1049 or L-049 Super Constellation Lockheed donated by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, based in Burbank-California (U.S.A.) in July 1969, to Sergio Duilio Fanali Chief of Staff of the Air Force in occasion of an official visit held at the Burbank plant.

This gift represents a historical relic of exceptional importance as, in those years, General Sergio Duilio Fanali established important commercial relationships with the senior executives of Lockeed which led to the Lockheed scandal in Italy which concerned the supply of C-130 transport planes, received by the Air Force, starting from 1972. In 1976 many subjects involved in the negotiations with Lockheed, including the Chief of Staff Duilio Fanali, were accused of having accepted bribes worth billions of lire to facilitate the purchase of these aircraft by the Italian Ministry of Defense.

When the Lockheed scandal exploded in the Italian press at the beginning of February 1976, the Rome Prosecutor's Office, forced to act, opened a judicial investigation which it entrusted to the deputy prosecutor Ilario Martella who ordered the arrest of the highest administrative-military authority, who could allow and support the choice of planes manufactured in Georgia by Lockheed, namely General Duilio Fanali who, in telephone interceptions, was called by the code name "Pun".

Therefore it is to be believed that this gift, given to him in 1969, was part of a series of "homages" aimed at endearing himself and establishing commercial relationships with General Sergio Duilio Fanali who, in those years, made many trips to the USA.

References:

Lockheed Corporation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Corporation

Chief of General Staff of the Air Force, Sergio Duilio Fanali: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Duilio_Fanali

Lockheed Bribery Scandals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_bribery_sca...