Over 1 mn in backpayments missing, M5S admits

(ANSA) - Naples, February 12 - Checks by anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leaders into statutory voluntary expenses reimbursements following recent media claims of alleged "lies" by party representatives have shown that "more money is missing than has been reported by the press", and could add up to over one million euros, party sources said Monday.
    Premier candidate Luigi Di Maio said all MPs, MEPs and local councillors found in breach of internal party regulations concerning reimbursements would receive the same treatment as Andrea Cecconi and Carlo Martelli, who were made to withdraw from the March 4 election campaign on Sunday following claims by an ex party militant broadcast by satirical television programme Le Iene that they had pretended to reimburse nearly 100,000 euros collectively in expenses payments.
    "All rotten apples will be thrown out, no one will taint the good name of the M5S," Di Maio said.
    "In our movement they are thrown out, in the other parties they are made ministers," he said.
    Di Maio initially dismissed the claims as "just an accounting problem". M5S, Italy's biggest party, has styled itself as a 'clean' alternative to conventional political parties with a strong code of ethics, but it has been increasingly prey to scandal.
    Di Maio also said Monday that Catello Vitiello would no longer be able to run for the Lower House for the anti-establishment groups due to his links with the Freemasons.
    "As far as we are concerned, he is a person who didn't tell us that he was part of a Masonic lodge and for this reason he cannot be in the movement," Di Maio said.
    "We have barred him from using the (M5S) symbol, so it's game over for him". Vitiello told Monday's Corriere della Sera that he had not done anything wrong and did not intend to withdrawn his bid to become an MP.