By Francesca Landini

BRINDISI (Reuters). Three sources familiar with the matter stated that southern Italian authorities have begun an investigation into Boeing’s supply of parts (NYSE:) to Manufacturing Process Specification (MPS). This company is at the center of recent snags regarding the 787 Dreamliner.

Sources with direct knowledge and another who was briefed about it say the move is designed to confirm whether any components could be defective or pose safety hazards. This prospect has been denied by Boeing’s lawyer and MPS.

The second probe involves Brindisi’s MPS. This is in the midst of ongoing investigations into the bankruptcy of a previous company.

Boeing stated last month that some parts of the 787 Dreamliner titanium were manufactured incorrectly by MPS, an Italian company Leonardo.

The company stated that the problem – which is one of many production-related issues that plagued wide-body jetliners – did not impact the safety of flight operations.

MPS is facing many problems due to its dependence on an unstable and scattered global supply network.

CONTROL CHAIN

MPS had a role until recent to produce small-sized titanium parts and to coat them with chemicals that make them resistant and smooth. This company employs less 40 people and has been a supplier for several aerospace companies.

Sources told Reuters: “Prosecutors have been checking the quality chain in order to find out why this issue with MPS’ components was only discovered recently,” said one of them.

An email asking for comment was not answered by the court-appointed administrator of MPS.

Antonio Ingrosso is an Italian entrepreneur who was hired as a lawyer to represent MPS. He denied that there were any safety issues.

Francesca Conte explained to Reuters that “these aren’t sensitive parts for aircraft safety” and said they had been well controlled by MPS clientele.

“We will prove at the appropriate moment that it is not unfounded to speak about technical flaws of the components supplied MPS,” she said.

Boeing refused to comment about the probe which could be ongoing for many months.

“Boeing, Leonardo have been victims of possible misbehaviour from the sub-supplier… We are cooperating and don’t know how to do so,” Valerio Cioffi, General Manager for Leonardo said at Friday’s results presentation.

Leonardo claimed last month it was an injures party, and that they would not pay any possible costs. Leonardo also stated that MPS no longer was a supplier. Boeing removed MPS also from its list of sub-suppliers.

In Brindisi’s industrial area, palm trees surround the MPS headquarters. A Reuters reporter was unable to find any activity at either of its plants when he visited.

According to sources, this latest investigation is taking place as Brindisi prosecutors close to completing an earlier probe into Processi Speciali (MPS’s predecessor), the sources stated.

They rented the assets of the company to MPS, before they went bankrupt in 2018.

Ingrosso, who was originally detained in May as part of the investigation into bankruptcy, was placed under house arrest. Ingrosso has been freed since then, but he did not reply to our request for comment. Ingrosso’s lawyer claimed that he was not involved in Processi Speciali’s bankruptcy. However, he said Ingrosso attempted to rescue the company from financial ruin.

Ex-employees of the company have retorted against the allegations, claiming that the company was unfairly targeted.