(ANSA) - Rome, April 19 - The League is threatening a
government crisis with its 5-Star Movement (M5S) partner after
recent tensions came to a head when a League undersecretary was
accused of taking a bribe to favour a Sicilian windfarm king
linked to Cosa Nostra's No.1 fugitive and the M5S's Rome mayor
was accused of leaning on a waste company exec, M5S leader Luigi
Di Maio said Friday.
The M5S have called for the resignation of Transport
Undersecretary Armando Siri while the League is calling for
Mayor Virginia Raggi to go.
"Again today the League is threatening to bring the
government down," said Di Maio.
"It seems there are even contacts with Berlusconi to set up
another executive. The papers are full of these reconstructions
and I find it extremely serious. I'm really dumbfounded.
"Italy is not a game, we are Italy and millions of households
in difficulty that want a signal.
"Italy is not a trophy and I find it extremely serious that
the League, with such superficiality, every time they feel like
it threatens to bring the government down".
The Siri and Raggi spats are just the latest in a long string
of tensions between the populist government partners.
Transport and Infrastructure Undersecretary Siri was placed
under investigation in a Rome and Palermo corruption probe
Thursday.
According to prosecutors, Siri allegedly received money to
modify a norm to be inserted into the 2018 DEF economic
blueprint which would have favoured funding for firms operating
in the renewable energy sector.
The norm was never approved.
Siri is alleged to have tried to favour a wind farm
entrepreneur linked to Cosa Nostra and accused of helping the
Sicilian mafia's number one fugitive Matteo Messina Denaro, Vito
Nicastri, in exchange for a 30,000 bribe, prosecutors said.
The bribe was allegedly handed over by university professor
Paolo Arata, a businessman and expert on the League's energy
policy, and by Nicastri in Rome.
Arata was described as a "wheeler-dealer" operating between
the League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party.
Rome prosecutors said in their search warrant that Siri had
used his public role for private interests.
Siri is the leading ideologue behind the League's 'flat tax'
proposals and among the protagonists of leader Matteo Salvini's
switch to a nationalist rather than regionalist stance.
For the government, he is following the dossier on the revamp
and relaunch of bankrupt former flag carrier Alitalia.
Siri said "I have no idea, I don't know what it's about. I
must first read and understand. I have read names I don't know.
I certainly am not involved with affairs that can have criminal
effects. I have always behaved respecting the laws. I am
tranquil".
Siri said "I deny all the charges, I ask to be questioned by
the prosecutors".
Siri reiterated: "I have done nothing wrong: I have no reason
to resign".
The leader of the League's government partner, 5-Star
Movement (M5S) chief Luigi Di Maio, called for Siri to quit "for
ethical and political reasons".
But League leader Salvini said "I have full confidence in
Siri.
"It is absurd. I know him, I esteem him, I have no doubt, and
in any case we're speaking of something that didn''t end up in
the DEF".
Salvini added that he had never demanded the resignation of
an M5S member when they were placed under investigation.
But Transport and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli, a
prominent M5S member, said Siri would be stripped of his duties
pending clarification in the case.
He said that the Trapani anti-mafia investigative unit had
been working on the case.
Meanwhile the Raggi case exploded in Rome.
In wiretaps published by L'Espresso weekly, the Rome mayor is
allegedly heard leaning on the former CEO of Rome waste company
AMA, Lorenzo Bagnacani, to push the firm's accounts into the red
to obtain public money.
She allegedly wanted the accounts to be tweaked by
withholding credits from cemetery services.
Bagnacani said he was sacked after he refused to do the
mayor's bidding after her "undue pressure", the former manager
said in a police complaint published by L'Espresso.
Raggi should quit if the content of the new published
wiretaps turns out to be true, League Minister for Regional
Affairs Erika Stefani said Thursday.
Stefani said that, if true, the wiretaps would amount to "the
confession of a serious crime and a clear admission of a
flagrant inability to govern".
"In line with the rules of her 5-Star Movement we expect her
immediate resignation".
In a statement Thursday, Rome city council "there was never
any pressure (on Bagnacani) but the simple application of the
norms, the balance sheet proposed by Bagnacani broke the norms
and would have guaranteed bonuses for the CEO and the managers".
In a November 26 wiretap, Raggi allegedly said "You have to
give me a hand Lorenzo, you're not helping me.
"I have the city practically out of control, the trade unions
are doing whatever the f**k they like".
Bagnacani allegedly replies: "we must take into account that
to give you a hand we can't do what is not possible" to which
the mayor allegedly replies "get the auditors to say it. If you
try to change your planned budget...try to make a draft to
change your plan...you're not giving me any f**king support
Lorenzo...what can I do?"
She allegedly went on: "if they look out of their windows and
see shit in the city, in some areas that's the way it is
unfortunately...there's no helping it."
League threatening crisis says Di Maio
V.serious, Italy not a game, contacts with Berlusconi