Terror infiltration alert in Diciotti case - prefect

(ANSA) - Rome, March 18 - Prefect Matteo Piantedosi, the cabinet chief of Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, told prosecutors in Catania that the interior ministry was aware of a "generalized alarm" over the possibility of extremists infiltrating migrant boats attempting to reach Italy during the Diciotti case last August, according to sealed court documents, details of which emerged on Monday.
    In the documents, which date back to November 12, Piantedosi told magistrates investigating the case that there was no "specific alarm" but the interior ministry's "model of behavior" took that danger into account.
    "There is the theme of protecting borders", he said, according to the report on his questioning by magistrates.
    Asked by a magistrate of the court of ministers in Catania whether there had been reports of specific people aboard the Diciotti who could be a threat to Italy's security, Piantedosi said "no, not specific, but over the previous months we had generic reports on the alarm".
    Last month, the Senate's immunity panel voted against granting a request from criminal prosecutors to proceed with charges against Deputy Premier and the interior minister over the Diciotti case. Catania's court for ministers in January had requested authorization to proceed with the case in which Salvini was accused of kidnapping for refusing to allow over 100 migrants saved by the Coast Guard to get off the Diciotti ship during a 10-day stand-off with the EU in August. The request was made even though prosecutors in the Sicilian city had requested the case be dropped.