Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi have sent a letter to the
speakers of the Lower House and Senate, respectively Lorenzo
Fontana and Ignazio La Russa, to inform them that they will not
be able to report to Parliament on the case of Libyan commander
Najeem Osema Almasri Habish after they were notified that a
criminal complaint had been filed against them over the release
of the wanted alleged war criminal.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister for
Relations with Parliament Luca Ciriani after a meeting with the
Lower House's party whips.
The two ministers wrote in the letter that they could not report
to the Lower House and Senate on Wednesday afternoon, as
originally scheduled, to "abide by procedures and respect the
confidentiality of the probe", Ciriani said.
Ciriani also said the government "isn't fleeing debate with
Parliament".
"We were ready to report today, but a new, striking, I think
unprecedented issue emerged", he said, referring to the
notification, adding that the government needed "to reflect for
a moment on what and when to report to Parliament".
He added the matter would take a few days and "as soon as
possible we will report to the House speaker who will be
reporting and when".
Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday said she had received
notification that she is under investigation over the Libyan
police official who was sent back home from Italy after being
detained on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
Meloni said she had received notice of a probe into possible
aiding and abetting and embezzlement of public funds from Rome's
chief prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, and that the same notice of
investigation had been sent to Nordio, Piantedosi and cabinet
secretary with the intelligence brief Alfredo Mantovano.
Almasri Habish, wanted for crimes against humanity and war
crimes by the ICC and arrested in Italy this month, was released
on a technicality, and flown back to Tripoli on Tuesday aboard
an Italian secret service plane.
Meanwhile on Wednesday Lower House sessions were suspended until
next Tuesday, February 4, when another meeting of party whips
has been scheduled.
Members of the opposition have demanded an explanation over who
will be reporting to Parliament at the next meeting of party
whips.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
