Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani on Thursday blasted Rome Chief Prosecutor
Francesco Lo Voi for notifying Premier Giorgia Meloni and other
members of the government that the case of a Libyan police
official who was sent back home from Italy after being detained
on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant was being
looked at following a complaint by a lawyer.
"In my opinion, this decision does not work in Italy's
interest," Tajani said on the sidelines of a press conference on
health care of his Forza Italia party.
"The problem is the magistrate's decision to put ministers on
the court of ministers' register of people under investigation.
"This was not an obligatory act.
"So it was a choice. I hope it was not linked to other events,
the result of a request by a lawyer who had been in a left-wing
government and who is part of the opposition's camp.
"In my opinion, a servant of the State must consider whether or
not choices that are more than risky are in the interest of
Italy before making a decision".
The notification was issued after attorney Luigi Li Gotti, a
former centre-left justice undersecretary from 2006 until 2008,
filed a criminal complaint on January 23.
Magistrates union ANM has said the notification Lo Voi sent
Meloni and some other ministers was an obligatory formality
after the complaint was filed.
Libyan judicial police commander Najeem Osama Almasri Habish,
wanted for crimes against humanity and war crimes by the ICC
over the alleged rape and murder of migrants in a Tripoli jail,
was arrested in Turin on January 19, released on a technicality
two days later and flown back to Libya aboard an Italian secret
service plane.
Meloni said Tuesday that she had received notice of a probe into
possible aiding and abetting and embezzlement of public funds
from Lo Voi, recalling that he had unsuccessfully prosecuted
Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini for
allegedly abducting migrants as part of his closed ports policy
to migrant rescue ships as interior minister in 2019.
She said the same notice had been sent to Justice Minister Carlo
Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and cabinet
secretary with the intelligence brief Alfredo Mantovano.
Tajani added that Almasri was "not a saint" and had been
expelled from Italy on Piantedosi's orders because he was
"dangerous".
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