Parliament's Anti-Mafia Commission
said Monday that it has scheduled hearings with National
Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo on Wednesday at 4.30 p.m.
and with Perugia Chief Prosecutor Raffaele Cantone on Thursday
at 10 a.m.
Cantone and Melillo had requested to report to the commission,
as well as to parliamentary committee for the security of the
republic (COPASIR) and the judiciary's self-governing body, the
CSM, over a case of allegedly spying by a policeman on a number
of high-profile politicians and celebrities that has sparked
alarm.
Finance police officer Pasquale Striano is accused of illegally
accessing the data of a wide range of public figures while he
was deployed at the National Anti-mafia Prosecutor's Department.
These include Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Business Minister
Adolfo Urso, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Labour
Minister Marina Elvira Calderone, Environment and Energy
Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Silvio Berlusconi's
former partner and MP Marta Fascina, ex-premiers Giuseppe Conte
and Matteo Renzi, pop star Fedez, soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo
and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Prosecutors believe that some of the data allegedly obtained by
Striano via illegal access to databases was used for journalist
purposes, sources said.
Indeed, a number of journalists are among around 15 people under
investigation in relation to the case.
Other data may have been passed on to a private investigator or
used by Striano for personal purposes.
Deputy Premier, Transport Minister and League leader Matteo
Salvini commented on the case during an event in Genoa on
Monday, describing it was as a "Soviet-style disgrace".
He referred to "parts of the State working against other pieces
of the State, listening, eavesdropping, spying, compiling
dossiers".
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