CONSOB chief spoke to Boschi about BPVi (5)

(ANSA) - Rome, December 14 - Giuseppe Vegas, the head of Italian stock-market regulator CONSOB, told the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the banking crisis Thursday that he once spoke to Cabinet Secretary Maria Elena Boschi about Banca Etruria and Banca Popolare di Vicenza.
    The banks were among several lenders whose troubles forced interventions featuring billions of euros in public money to prevent failures that would have had devastating consequences for Italian finance.
    The father of former relations with parliament minister Boschi is a former vice president of Banca Etruria.
    "I spoke about the question with then minister Boschi," Vegas told the commission regarding Banca Etruria.
    "(She voiced concern) about a worrying outlook because, in her opinion, it was possible that Etruria would be incorporated by the Popolare di Vicenza and this was damaging for Arezzo's main industry, which is gold.
    "I replied to her that CONSOB was not competent (for bank mergers)". Roberto Speranza, a leading member of the leftwing Free and Equal (LeU) party, suggested Boschi should quit on the grounds that this contradicted statements given in parliament. "The picture that emerges from Vegas's statements cannot be ignored," said Speranza.
    "When a member of the government lies to parliament, there is no other road to take than resignation".
    Boschi denied lying to parliament.
    "I confirm in all details what I told parliament two years ago," she said. "Those who ask for my resignation because I'm supposed to have lied to parliament must tell me in what point of the minutes I lied. "I met the CONSOB president in various fora, as I met other institutional representatives: never, I repeat never, did I exert pressure".
    Vegas responded by stressing that Boschi did not exert pressure on him. "I think it's normal that an MP should be interested in her constituency," he said.