Members of the majority will not
attend a Senate panel session this afternoon to rule on lifting
League leader and former interior minister Matteo Salvini's
immunity to face charges of 'kidnapping' migrants aboard the
Gregoretti coast guard ship last July, caucus leaders said
Monday.
Salvini has instructed his League Senators in the panel to
vote to lift his immunity so he can face trial for "merely doing
my duty in protecting Italy's borders".
But the majority dropping out will deprive the panel of a
quorum.
The populist nationalist strongman has said there will be no
court room big enough to contain all the supporters he will
muster.
Opponents have accused Salvini of trying to play the martyr
in the case.
Caucus leaders from the ruling anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) and their partners in the centre-left Democratic
Party (PD) and the centrist Italia Viva (IV) said their members
would not be attending the panel session, which is set for
17:00.
This is the second time Salvini has been accused of taking
migrants hostage at sea in enforcing his policy of closing
Italy's ports to rescue ships.
He used the policy primarily against NGO run ships, which he
denied access completely.
But he also held up the docking of coast guard run ships.
Salvini has been accused of tying to use the case to drum up
support for Sunday's key regional election in Emilia Romagna.
The League-led centre right is bidding to wrest the
traditionally centre left region from the PD.
It won Umbria, another centre left stronghold, last year.
Salvini said earlier Salvini he was ready to go to prison to
defend his position ahead of the vote.
"(Giovannino) Guareschi said that there are times when you
have to pass through prison to reach freedom," Salvini said at a
rally in Comacchio when asked about the case.
"We are ready. I am ready".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
