Prosecutors have terminated
their investigation into two journalists from L'Espresso
newsmagazine in relation to the publication of an alleged
wiretap of a conversation between Sicily regional governor
Rosario Crocetta and his personal physician Matteo Tutino.
Piero Messina and Maurizio Zoppi were placed under
investigation for slander and publishing false and exaggerated
news after prosecutors in Palermo and other offices in Sicily
said the wiretap in question - allegedly dating to 2013 - did
not exist.
In it Crocetta allegedly remained silent as Tutino said the
then regional health councillor Lucia Borsellino should be "done
away with" like her slain anti-Mafia magistrate father Paolo
Borsellino.
Tutino's phone had been tapped as part of an investigation
into fraud, falsehood, embezzlement and abuse of office he
allegedly committed as chief of plastic surgery at Villa Sofia
hospital in Palermo, which subsequently led to his arrest.
Crocetta has always strenuously denied the allegations in
the article.
Prosecutors will now ask for the journalists to be sent to
trial.
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