Ready to clear things up says Siri

(ANSA) - Rome, April 23 - The defence attorney for Armando Siri, the League Transport Undersecretary accused of taking a 30,000 euro bribe from a Sicilian windfarm king linked to Cosa Nostra's No.1 fugitive, said Tuesday "we are ready to clear things up, if it were deemed necessary or even only opportune, in the respective institutionally competent fora".
    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.
    He has not been charged, and has strenuously denied the bribe accusation.
    The League has also come under fire after Cabinet Secretary Gianfranco Giorgetti hired Arata's son.