Foreign Minister and 5-Star
Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio on Thursday renewed his call
for highways company Autostrade per L'Italia (ASPI) to be
stripped of its concessions.
ASPI has been accused of failing to take the necessary action
to prevent last year's Morandi-bridge collapse in Genoa in which
43 people died.
According to recent newspaper reports, ASPI allegedly knew as
early as 2014 that the Morandi Bridge was not safe and should
have been shored up or demolished.
In September nine people were arrested on suspicion of
soft-pedalling reports on bridge and viaduct safety.
"The highway concessions are set to be revoked," Di Maio told
Radio Anch'io.
"It is necessary to take the concession away from these
people as soon as possible after they took our money for tolls
without maintaining the structures".
M5S co-founder and guarantor, stand-up comedian Beppe Grillo,
tweeted #Autostrade Story is the story of the motorway
concession obtained by the #Benetton (whose Atlantia group
controls ASPI) more than 20 years ago. A concession on
favourable terms without equal. Share this information as much
as you can. It's time to change".
Di Maio responded by saying "we won't take a step backwards
on the revocation of the concession to Autostrade.
"The whole 5-Star Movement, from me to Beppe Grillo to every
single MP and activist, is determined in this battle.
"Forty-three people died because a bridge collapsed under
them from one minute to the next.
"Their families are still grieving.
"They're asking for justice. We will give it to them.
Whatever the cost".
Premier Giuseppe Conte said he "understood" Griloo and Di
Maio's views and vowed that the government would not "let anyone
off".
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