A Senate panel on Monday voted to
lift former interior minister Matteo Salvini's parliamentary
immunity to face trial in the alleged kidnapping of some 100
migrants aboard a coast guard ship last July.
A definitive vote will be taken by the whole Upper House on
February 17. Nationalist League leader Salvini risks 15 years in
jail.
The panel vote was deadlocked after the League voted, on
Salvini's instructions, in favour of the trial and the League's
allies voted against, and as in all tied votes the nay won the
day, after the majority 5-Star Movement (M5S), Democratic Party
(PD) and Italia Viva (IV) boycotted the vote.
Salvini wanted to face trial to help muster popular support
ahead of Sunday's regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and
Calabria.
He said he was "ready to go to prison" to defend the
principle of defending Italy's borders.
The League leader's own five Senators voted, on his
instructions, against the panel chair's proposal to deny
authorisation for trial.
The League's allies, four Senators from Silvio Berlusconi's
Forza Italia (FI) and one from Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of
Italy (FdI), voted in favour of the motion to deny trial.
This led to a tied vote, five five.
In the case of ties, the rules of the Upper House lay down
that the nays prevail.
Salvini said he welcomed standing trial while his opponents
said he was "playing the victim" and trying to act like a martyr
to drum up support for Sunday's regional contests.
The League-led centre right is aiming to take leftwing
stronghold Emilia Romagna for the first time, after winning
another leftwing fief, Umbria, last year.
Salvini said earlier Monday that he was ready to go to prison
to defend his position ahead of the vote.
"(Giovannino) Guareschi said that there are times when you
have to pass through prison to reach freedom," Salvini said at a
rally in Comacchio when asked about the case.
"We are ready. I am ready".
The panel ruled on whether to grant prosecutors permission to
proceed against Salvini over his conduct when he was interior
minister regarding the Gregoretti Coast Guard ship.
The Catania court of ministers has requested parliament give
it the OK to proceed against Salvini for allegedly abusing his
power by failing to give the ok for more than 100 rescued
migrants to disembark from the ship for several days during a
long standoff in July.
Salvini, who operated a closed ports policy while interior
minister in the last government, faced prosecution before but
his parliamentary immunity was never lifted so he could go to
trial in previous similar cases.
The ruling majority accused Senate Speaker Elisabetta
Casellati of not being impartial last week after she voted with
the opposition regarding a procedural question.
She rejected the charge, saying her actions were dictated by
the need to keep work in the Upper House moving.
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