Pasquale Striano, the finance police
officer who is alleged to have illegally accessed the data of a
wide range of public figures including politicians and
celebrities while he was deployed at the National Anti-mafia
Prosecutor's Department (DNA), said Sunday he would answer to
the charges against him before a judge.
"They you will see what happens," said Striano in a message sent
to the daily newspaper Il Giornale.
"I did my job with absolute dignity and professionalism and with
my methods, not those used by bureaucrats," he added.
The finance police officer is under investigation in Perugia
together with DNA prosecutor and several other suspects in a
case that has caused a public outcry amid calls for the creation
of a parliamentary commission of inquiry.
Striano is alleged to have illegally accessed the data of
figures including Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Business
Minister Adolfo Urso, Agriculture Minister Francesco
Lollobrigida, Labour Minister Marina Elvira Calderone,
Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto
Fratin, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, Silvio
Berlusconi's former partner and MP Marta Fascina, ex-premiers
Giuseppe Conte (and his partner Olivia Paladino) and Matteo
Renzi, rapper and TV personality Fedez, soccer great Cristiano
Ronaldo, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, Confindustria
business group chief Carlo Bonomi and League leader Matteo
Salvini's girlfriend Francesca Verdini.
He allegedly did this via abuse of the so-called 'SOS' system,
which enables officials to rummage through the information
stored on databases of individuals if the authorities receive a
report of a suspect financial operation by them.
However, National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo told
Parliament's Anti-Mafia Commission on Wednesday that Striano is
unlikely to have acted alone.
Photo: National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo.
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