Italy's state audit court on Tuesday highlighted ''widespread corruption'' in the public administration, reporting a rise in the number of certified cases of kickbacks.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the start of the judicial year, the Audit Court's Attorney General Furio Pasqualucci said corruption appeared ''pathological'' in the area of public works, public-service tenders and the health sector.
Over 2007 there was a rise in convictions by regional audit courts for damages to the public administration connected to kickbacks, Pasqualucci said.
Out of 1,905 sentences by the regional courts, 11.4% were related to bribery and extortion, figures showed.
The stand-out case regarded state-owned energy company Enipower which in 2007 was ordered to pay 2.4 million euros in damages after a bribery scandal involving several executives.
The Pasqualucci said kickbacks regularly came into play when the state contracted services and goods from the private sector.
In the health sector there were illicit relations between the public administration and private clinics which received excessive or unjustified reimbursements, he said.
