The Milan Contract

'Except for the ugly brown bullet hole, the corpse could have been the image of the man in the mirror'.Lukas Stolz, an ex-East German maths guru is shot dead outside the Hotel Napoli in Milan. Career criminal, Pete Salterton who was staying at the same hotel, believes the bullet was meant for him. Lieutenant Raphael Conza's investigations lead him to a vital witness; Nyala Abebe, a young Ethiopian migrant who may know the moped rider seen leaving the murder scene. Another witness goes missing and someone is leaking details about the case. The gang behind the murder will stop at nothing to cover their tracks and Lieutenant Conza finds himself fighting powerful allies who are protecting them. He soon realises he's out of his depth in pursuit of brutal assassins in both Italy and the UK and has to reconsider his options after discovering a fifty-year old story of betrayal in cold-war Germany.

Who was the moped rider spotted fleeing the scene of a brutal murder?A sunny Sunday morning in Milan. One body - two conceivable targets. Has the right man been assassinated? Who took out the contract? And what was their motive?High-flier, Lieutenant Raphael Conza, the son of an Italian diplomat, is tasked with unravelling the mystery behind the murder outside the Hotel Napoli. It's not going to be a straightforward investigation - key witnesses go missing and someone is leaking details of the case to the press...and others.For the first time in his career, Conza begins to doubt his instincts and is torn between his pursuit of the criminals and the need to protect the vulnerable.The Milan Contract takes the reader on an extraordinary journey across Italy, the UK and Germany as Conza attempts to unravel the secrets behind the killing of a grey-haired man in Milan.

This volume presents national reports describing the legal instruments that are available to prevent the payment of bribes for acquiring contracts. Anti-corruption is one of the preeminent issues in the modern global commercial order and is tackled with the help of criminal law and contract law in different ways in different countries. The reports included in this volume, from very diverse parts of the world, represent a unique and rich compilation of court decisions, doctrinal discussions and a pool of suggested solutions. The central theme is the enforceability of three problematic types of contracts: the bribe agreement, whereby a bribe payer promises the agent of his business partner a personal benefit in exchange for favourable contract terms; the agreement between a bribe payer and an intermediary (a “bribe merchant”), where the latter offers his expertise to help funnel bribes to agents of the business partner; and finally, the contract between the bribe payer and his business partner which was obtained by means of bribery. The analysis is tailored toward commercial contracts, which can also include contracts with state-owned enterprises. The examination and comparison of international and national initiatives included in this volume advance the discussion on the most appropriate remedies in corruption cases, and show how to get past the boundaries of criminal, private and contract law.

Tunnels and Underground Cities: Engineering and Innovation meet Archaeology, Architecture and Art contains the contributions presented at the World Tunnel Congress 2019 (Naples, Italy, 3-9 May 2019). The use of underground space is continuing to grow, due to global urbanization, public demand for efficient transportation, and energy saving, production and distribution. The growing need for space at ground level, along with its continuous value increase and the challenges of energy saving and achieving sustainable development objectives, demand greater and better use of the underground space to ensure that it supports sustainable, resilient and more liveable cities. This vision was the source of inspiration for the design of the logos of both the International (ITA) and Italian (SIG) Tunnelling Association. By placing key infrastructures underground – the black circle in the logos – it will be possible to preserve and enhance the quality of the space at ground level – the green line. In order to consider and value underground space usage together with human and social needs, engineers, architects, and artists will have to learn to collaborate and develop an interdisciplinary design approach that addresses functionality, safety, aesthetics and quality of life, and adaptability to future and varied functions. The 700 contributions cover a wide range of topics, from more traditional subjects connected to technical challenges of design and construction of underground works, with emphasis on innovation in tunneling engineering, to less conventional and archetypically Italian themes such as archaeology, architecture, and art. The book has the following main themes: Archaeology, Architecture and Art in underground construction; Environment sustainability in underground construction; Geological and geotechnical knowledge and requirements for project implementation; Ground improvement in underground constructions; Innovation in underground engineering, materials and equipment; Long and deep tunnels; Public communication and awareness; Risk management, contracts and financial aspects; Safety in underground construction; Strategic use of underground space for resilient cities; Urban tunnels. Tunnels and Underground Cities: Engineering and Innovation meet Archaeology, Architecture and Art is a valuable reference text for tunneling specialists, owners, engineers, architects and others involved in underground planning, design and building around the world, and for academics who are interested in underground constructions and geotechnics.