Venice mayor among 35 arrested in flood-system probe-update2

(ANSA) - Venice, June 4 - Venice Mayor Giorgio Orsoni was among 35 people arrested on Wednesday in relation to a probe into alleged corruption in contracts for the Lagoon city's MOSE flood-protection system. Veneto Infrastructure Councillor Renato Chisso was arrested too, while around 100 people are under investigation, judicial sources said. Prosecutors also requested the arrest of former Veneto governor and ex minister Giancarlo Galan, a Senator for ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party. The Upper House will have to decide whether to authorise the arrest.
    Galan was at the helm of the region around Venice from 1995 to 2010 before short stints as agriculture and then culture minister between 2010 and 2011 in Berlusconi's third and final executive. The probe is the latest in a series of investigations into alleged corruption to have hit parties from many parts of Italy's political spectrum and contributed to growing disenchantment with the ruling class.