According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, Clarissa La Porta was arrested in the north-west of the Italian capital following several months of joint investigations by the Luxembourg authorities, the Italian International Police Cooperation Service and the Rome police. She was then transferred to Rebibbia prison pending proceedings relating to her extradition.
According to Italian investigators, the woman in her forties is alleged to have played an active role in a transnational criminal organisation involved in fraud and money laundering. She is being prosecuted for forgery, fraud, membership of a criminal organisation and money laundering.
The Italian authorities have described a complex scheme that is alleged to have enabled more than €60 million to be laundered and channelled through several European countries. Investigators have identified three companies in particular that are believed to be front companies set up to conceal the origin of the funds, one of which was based in Italy. According to the charges, Clarissa La Porta is alleged to have been involved in the creation or use of documents necessary for the reinvestment and laundering of the embezzled funds.
This arrest marks a new development in the Caritas Luxembourg case, which came to light in the summer of 2024. The scandal broke after the discovery of fraudulent financial transfers made at the charity’s expense. The embezzled sums, estimated at over €61 million, had plunged the charity into an unprecedented crisis, leading to its restructuring and the gradual resumption of certain activities under a new organisation.
Since the investigation began, the Luxembourg authorities have stepped up their investigative activities abroad. The Public Prosecutor’s Office stated in 2025 that several dozen requests for international mutual legal assistance had been sent to various countries in order to trace financial flows and identify all those involved.
Clarissa La Porta’s arrest could enable investigators to shed further light on the international mechanisms used to channel the embezzled funds. At this stage, the allegations against her remain just that – allegations – and will have to be examined by the competent courts. She is presumed innocent.
