Raggi risks trial over appointments

Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi risks indictment on charges of fraud and abuse of office after Rome prosecutors on Tuesday wound up a probe into an appointments case, judicial sources said. Raggi is suspected of abuse of office in appointing Salvatore Romeo head of her political secretariat and of fraud in appointing city tourism chief Renato Marra, brother of Raffaele, the former city personnel chief, who has been arrested over alleged corruption. Raggi denies wrongdoing and has said she will carry on even if she is indicted. Raggi, who became Rome's first woman mayor in a landslide a year ago, is being backed by the head of her anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, comedian Beppe Grillo.