(ANSA) - Rome, April 24 - Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday that there was no question of his League party having any links to the mafia.
"Never put my name or that of the League next to the mafia," Salvini said when asked about calls from his government coalition partners for Transport Undersecretary Armando Siri to resign. "Those who talk about the League should wash their mouths out because we have got nothing to do with the mafia". Salvini has so far stood by Siri, a League member, who says he has done nothing wrong. Prosecutors suspect that Siri allegedly received money to modify a norm to be inserted into the 2018 DEF economic blueprint which would have favoured funding for firms operating in the renewable energy sector. The norm was never approved. Siri is suspected of having tried to favour a wind farm entrepreneur linked to Cosa Nostra and accused of helping the Sicilian mafia's number one fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro, Vito Nicastri, in exchange for a 30,000 bribe, prosecutors said.
Salvini also said "ask my friends in the 5-Star Movement" on Wednesday when asked if the coalition government was set to continue.
The League-M5S government has been hit by a series of big arguments, including the row over Siri and a dispute measures to help the city of Rome with its big debts.
"I've made the commitment not to respond to provocation," Salvini added. "Today I've read five to 10 statements against me. "The League ministers and lawmakers have been told not to reply. "As far as I'm concerned, I'll keep working for Italy in the coming years and I hope the others want to work too".
Fellow Deputy Premier and M5S leader Luigi Di Maio played down talk of the government collapsing. "Let's stop the rows. The government will keep going for four more years," said Di Maio, who is also labour and industry minister. "This is an executive that can really change things and we believe in it".
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