Nine Catania University professors and the institute's dean, Francesco Basile, were suspended by a preliminary investigations judge on Friday.
The move relates to probe into the alleged rigging of selection competitions for recruitment. The suspects are accused of charges including criminal association and corruption. In total 40 professors from the universities of Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Catanzaro, Chieti-Pescara, Florence, Messina, Milan, Naples, Padua, Rome, Trieste, Venice and Verona are under investigation.
The probe regards 21 professorships and six posts for researchers.
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