The Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci confirmed during a Senate question time that the government signed a settlement agreement with the company JC Electronics Italia S.r.l., headed by entrepreneur Dario Bianchi, for approximately 100 million euros. The agreement closes a legal dispute dating back to 2020, when the Extraordinary Commissioner for the COVID emergency Domenico Arcuri cancelled a contract for the supply of protective masks with the company. A first-instance court ruling had condemned the Italian State to pay JC Electronics approximately 203 million euros in damages, plus interest, deeming the cancellation of the contract unlawful. According to Minister Schillaci, the sentence was immediately executable and the amount owed by the State, including interest and additional claims, had reached over 250 million euros by June 2025. The minister stated that the government first appealed the ruling and then negotiated a settlement, arguing that waiting for the appeal verdict risked a higher financial exposure. The settlement was signed on October 31, 2025, and the funds were allocated through Article 5 of decree-law 156/2025, approved by Parliament between December 2025 and January 2026. Schillaci stated that the operation followed all administrative and accounting controls and was registered with the Corte dei Conti. According to documents cited by the Parliament budget offices, the decree did not contain specific references to the sentences or transactions involved. The opposition parties, including the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party, strongly criticized the decision. M5S leader Giuseppe Conte questioned why the government settled before the appeal ruling, defining the transaction as a reward for an entrepreneur who has been a vocal critic of Conte in the COVID Parliamentary Commission. Opposition representatives announced their intention to file a complaint with the Corte dei Conti for potential damage to the State and are considering a referral to the Public Prosecutors Office. PD group leader in the Senate Francesco Boccia questioned the decision not to wait for the appeal verdict. The opposition also highlighted that Bianchi has participated in FdI party events, including a conference in Cagliari in June 2025. Fratelli dItalia defended the government decision. Senator Marco Lisei, president of the COVID Commission, stated that the settlement saved 130 million euros compared to the first-instance sentence, which had condemned the State due to the actions of the Arcuri structure under the Conte government. FdI exponent Galeazzo Bignami accused the opposition of hypocrisy, arguing that the original damages resulted from pandemic management decisions made under the previous government. Bignami also announced that FdI would file a complaint with the Corte dei Conti, calling on opposition figures to renounce the legal protections granted to officials who served during the pandemic. The exact role of Dario Bianchi in relation to political parties remains a matter of debate: the opposition describes him as close to FdI, while majority representatives emphasize his function as a witness in the COVID Commission proceedings.