Dates will be set this week for
questioning of former industry minister Federica Guidi and
Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi in the probe involving
Guidi's oil-industry businessman boyfriend Gianluca Gemelli,
ANSA sources said.
Gemelli is being investigated for corruption conspiracy and
falsely claiming influence over a public official in order to
obtain bribes.
While neither Guidi nor Boschi are under investigation,
wiretaps emerged last week in which Guidi discussed with Gemelli
an amendment to a competitiveness bill containing measures for
the development of the Tempa Rossa oil field in Italy's south,
which Boschi signed.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi said the amendment was his,
and as such he is willing to be interrogated in the matter, but
investigators have thus far indicated they don't intend to
interview him.
An appeal will be heard this week to reiterate the Potenza
prosecutor's arrest request for Gemelli, which was rejected by a
preliminary hearing judge.
Meanwhile, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement will hold
a demonstration Monday in the town of Viggiano in the Basilicata
region to protest over the scandal regarding the ENI oil
production plant there, where five ENI staffers were arrested on
suspicion of illegal waste trafficking and disposal.
Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) will hold a meeting of senior
party members on Monday, where one of the matters to be
discussed is the rejection of an April 17 referendum on offshore
oil and gas drilling in Italy, which PD officials have said
would be a "pointless" waste of 300 million euros of taxpayer
money.
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