Seven university teachers
were arrested by Florence finance police on Monday in relation
to a probe into the alleged rigging of exams, sources said
Monday.
Another 22 people have been barred from holding academic
positions for 12 months in relation to the probe and 59 people
are under investigation in total, including two-time cabinet
minister Augusto Fantozzi, the sources said.
The probe was triggered by an alleged attempt by some
teachers to persuade a researcher who was a candidate in an exam
to qualify as a tax-law teacher to withdraw the bid in favour of
a less qualified candidate.
The first researcher was allegedly promised a pass in the
next exam.
Fantozzi, 77, served as economy and finance minister in the
1995-'96 Lamberto Dini government.
He went on to serve as foreign-trade minister for Romano
Prodi's 1996-98 administration.
The seven arrested teachers were placed under house arrest.
They are: Fabrizio Amatucci, of Naples' Federico II
University; Giuseppe Maria Cipolla, of the University of
Cassino; Adriano di Pietro of Bologna University; Alessandro
Giovannini of the University of Siena; Valerio Ficari of the
University of Rome 2; Giuseppe Zizzo of the Carlo Cattaneo
University of Castellanza in Varese; and Guglielmo Fransoni of
the University of Foggia.
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