The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement
(M5S) on Tuesday called on Cabinet Secretary Maria Elena Boschi
to quit over reports that she asked UniCredit CEO Federico
Ghizzoni to consider buying a troubled bank that subsequently
went insolvent.
Boschi denied making any such request.
In excerpts of a book by Ferruccio De Bortoli released before
publication, the former Corriere della Sera editor says that
then-reform minister Boschi spoke to Ghizzoni about the
possibility of buying Banca Etruria in 2015.
Boschi's father is a former vice president of the Tuscan
bank, one of four lenders that went to the wall in 2015, leaving
many savers with worthless bonds.
"Boschi must get packing or we'll go everything to send her
back home," read a post of the blog of M5S leader Beppe Grillo.
"And we will evaluate possible actions on the judicial
front".
Boschi said she was the victim of mud-slinging.
"The Banca Etruria story is cyclically brought out to feed
controversy," Boschi said on Facebook.
"Let's be clear: I never asked Ghizzoni or anyone else to buy
Banca Etruria.
"I have met Ghizzoni, like I have met many personalities from
the world of the economy and labour, but I never made a request
of this nature".
She added that she has tasked lawyers with the job of taking
action to "protect my name and my honour".
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