(ANSA) - Rome, May 6 - One of five Egyptian secret service officers suspected of involvement in the 2016 Cairo torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni allegedly admitted to abducting him in a conversation overheard by a witness at a restaurant, Italian dailies Corriere della Sera and LA Repubblica have reported.
The intelligence service agent reportedly did not realize that someone was listening to his conversation.
He allegedly told the person he was dining with: "We kidnapped Regeni. We though he was a British spy".
Rome prosecutors investigating the case have requested a new international rogatory.
The prosecutors last year placed several members of the Egyptian security apparatus under investigation for the abduction and murder of the 28-year-old student, who was researching Cairo street seller unions for Cambridge University.
'Egyptian official admitted to Regeni abduction'- witness
'We thought he was British spy', agent quoted as saying