Outgoing Rome Mayor Ignazio
Marino on Monday made his resignation official by handing it
over in writing to the relevant official.
Beginning on Tuesday, by law he will have 20 days - or
until November 2 - to either withdraw or confirm his
resignation. In the meantime, he will still be carrying out his
duties, such as marrying people at city hall and signing
ordinances.
Today, he made the city a civil plaintiff in the trial of
five defendants in the so-called Rome Mafia corruption and
racketeering case involving businessmen, gangsters and
politicians.
Among the defendants is ex-AMA trash company managing
director Giovanni Fiscon, who was appointed by former rightwing
mayor Gianni Alemanno in what prosecutors say was part of a deal
Rome Mafia suspects.
Trial begins October 20, and Marino made a point of saying
he will attend the first hearing as mayor of the city.
As well, he signed three ordinances for Jubilee-related
public works to improve the flow of traffic along the Tiber
river and in the area surrounding St. Peter's Cathedral. The
total budget is 10 million euros.
Marino resigned Friday under pressure from his own PD party
in what supporters say was an orchestrated attack because the
mayor prosecuted corrupt officials and angered the Vatican with
his stance in favor of gay marriage.
Since then, almost 40,000 people have signed a petition
asking Marino not to quit, and protesters gathered Sunday at
City Hall and today at the national headquarters of Premier
Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD).
They carried signs saying "Rome wants its mayor back" and
"The Rome Mafia thanks the PD and the Vatican" among other
expressions of support for Marino, who was elected in 2013 with
64% of the vote.
"They took our vote away from us," said one woman. "The PD
drove out Marino....In two and a half years, he did what these
guys over here haven't done in 40 years".
"He took on the powers that be," agreed another.
"This way the PD has lost a lot of votes," said another
woman supporter. "They can forget about my vote now".
As supporters rallied, prosecutors ordered the finance
police to seize all records of expenses Marino made using the
city's credit card.
The investigation was sparked by a formal report from two
opposition parties - the small rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI)
and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, currently the
second-largest party in Italy after Marino's PD.
The mayor could face embezzlement charges if evidence is
found to support opposition allegations he spent some 20,000
euros of taxpayers' money on private dinners.
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