Deputy Premier and Interior
Minister Matteo Salvini said Tuesday that he will report to
parliament about suspicions a person close to his League party
discussed taking funding via oil kickbacks from Russia.
"I certainly will go to parliament," Salvini said in Genoa
when asked about calls for him to report to the parliament over
the case.
"That is my job. I go bi-weekly and for the question-time
session, during which I respond about all human knowledge,
always".
Salvini said his party has not taken a rouble off the
Russians and described the case as "ridiculous".
Milan prosecutors opened a probe after reports that
Lombardy-Russia Association President Paolo Savoini met with two
other Italians and three Russian in a Moscow hotel to discuss
siphoning off an alleged 65 million euros from oil profits.
The minister has denied inviting Savoini to take part in two
bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin
recently.
On Tuesday Milan prosecutor Francesco Greco said there was
"absolutely" no need to question Salvini about the case, adding
that it was set to be a "long, complex, difficult" probe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitri Peskov,
commenting on the alleged Russian funding for Italy's pro-Moscow
League party, told ANSA Tuesday that the Kremlin has never given
any financial support to any Italian parties or politicians.
"As we have already said, none of us has given financial
support to any Italian politician or party from Russia. There is
no doubt".
Peskov added: "There is a juridical basis for cooperation
that can be activated at any time at the request of the
parties".
MPs from the Democratic Party (PD) held up placards in a
parliamentary session with photos of Salvini next to Savoini.
Before the protest, the PD's Emanuele Fiano repeated the
party request for Salvini to address parliament on the issue of
the alleged Russian financing to his party.
PD leader Nicola Zingaretti said "we're not giving up on our
battle for the truth".
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