Anti-graft chief at centre of storm after govt criticism

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 30 - Giuseppe Busia, the president of Italy's anti-corruption agency ANAC, was at the centre of a political storm on Thursday after criticising the government's new rules for public contracts, with Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini's League saying his position has become untenable.
    Busia picked fault with the scope officials and local politicians will have in some cases to give a contract to a firm without going through a tender process.
    He said it will be possible to give a contract to "your cousin or someone who voted for you" up to the threshold of 150,000 euros.
    The new procurement code, designed by Salvini, seeks to simplify the rules for the assignment of public contracts, streamlining procedures for documentation with the help of digital mechanisms.
    " Busia's comments about the Salvini code are serious, unquantifiable and misinformative," said Stefano Locatelli, the League's chief on the issue of local authorities.
    "If you talk like that about thousands of mayors and you think that they are all corrupt, you cannot stay in the role.
    "Busia's job is to oversee, but he has certified that he is biased, not neutral, and, therefore, not credible".
    Busia stressed on Thursday that he did not consider Italy's mayors to be corrupt, describing them as "heroes, especially in small towns.
    "They carry out an essential function, they are paid very little and take on great responsibilities," he added.
    Sources at Salvini's transport and infrastructure ministry expressed "great satisfaction and relief at the clear correction of course by the ANAC president" in the light of thse comments.
    (ANSA).