Senate rejects wiretap request

(ANSA) - Rome, December 4 - The Italian Senate on Thursday refused a request from prosecutors in Trani for permission to use wiretaps allegedly involving Senator Antonio Azzollini of the New Centre Right (NCD) political party.
    Azzollini was placed under investigation more than one year ago in connection with a public works project in southern Italy.
    That 150-million euro probe concerns a marina and breakwater project in Molfetta, a coastal town north of Bari, prosecutors have said.
    The prosecutor's office in Trani has been investigating how 147 million euros in public funds - 82 million of which were from city coffers - were channeled into a project to build a port that has proved to be unfeasible, and whose original cost estimate was 72 million euros.
    Public bids for building the breakwater and new commercial marina was set for April 2007 with project delivery in March 2008, but work never began due to thousands of unexploded war explosives on the seabed.
    Prosecutors believe the Molfetta municipality knew of the ordinances as far back as 2005, yet falsely declared the seabed accessible during the public bidding process.
    Investigators allege the municipality covered up the hazards of the project to move the public bid forward to channel and receive new public funds.