Naples mayor suspended

(ANSA) - Rome, October 1 - The Naples prefect signed an order suspending Naples Mayor Luigi De Magistris Wednesday after Interior Minister Angelino Alfano gave the green light earlier in the day. The move came on the basis of a 2012 anti-corruption law suspending people convicted of certain crimes from public office after the former magistrate was handed a suspended 15-month sentence for abuse of office while working on a corruption case.
    Alfano said the Naples prefect had received notification from a Rome court about the conviction and would proceed with the suspension "today".
    The case concerns De Magistris's involvement in obtaining the telephone data of some MPs, including former premier Romano Prodi, without the proper authorisation.
    De Magistris refused to quit after the sentence, suggesting it was part of a plot to wrestle control of Naples from him, and said he would be city's mayor on the streets if he is suspended. Alfano added Wednesday that the October 12 elections in the city would not be postponed because of the case.