News reporter beaten up

(ANSA) - Rome, October 7 - A reporter working for an investigative news programme was beaten up and had his video camera broken after requesting an interview with the chairman of an aviation company linked to defence giant Finmeccanica-owned helicopter maker Augusta Westland, it emerged Wednesday.
    Andrea Pardi, chairman of Società Italiana Elicotteri, was reported for attacking the journalist working for state broadcaster RAI3's hard-hitting investigative news programme Report. The programme said Pardi "dragged the reporter into the office building and immobilised him by crushing his neck with an arm". The attack allegedly occurred before a small crowd of onlookers after the journalist had intercepted Pardi outside the building to ask a question. The manager reportedly released the reporter only after removing his video camera.
    The journalist subsequently retrieved the broken device with the help of the police but the memory card had been removed.