Eventually a date will be found, «Michele Emiliano will be there and will answer all the questions, no more exploitation», the dem secretary cut short Elly Schlein. But a tug of war is now underway between Rome and Bari, tension is very high between Palazzo San Macuto – the headquarters of the parliamentary anti-mafia commission chaired by Chiara Colosimo (FdI) – and the office on the seafront of the Puglia Region, after the latest refusal yesterday by the governor, “unavailable” to show up in Rome on Thursday, 2 May, due to “legitimate impediment”.
His hearing was scheduled last month to ask him about the risks of mafia infiltration in Bari, after the arrests of politicians involved in the judiciary investigations, which led to a mini reshuffle in the council and the sending by the Interior Ministry of three inspectors in the Municipality of Bari. Last April 24th, however, Emiliano had already spoken out unavailable to show up on the initially established dates of 7, 8 and 9 May. “The session of the Regional Council is scheduled for the 7th where the opposition’s motion of no confidence in me will begin to be discussed,” the governor explained in a first letter to San Macuto. Where, however, they didn’t take it well: «Emiliano cannot exempt himself, not being called due to political inexpediency would create a dangerous precedent». So yesterday the invitation went out for Thursday 2 May at 10.30am. But this time too Emiliano said he was “unavailable”, indicating the reason in a new letter: the convocation that same day at 10am of the Conference of the Regions and at 12.30pm the appointment of the governors with the minister Roberto Calderoli. And instead saying he is ready to intervene “at any time from 10 to 30 May, provided that the debate in the Council has been concluded with the vote” on the motion of no confidence.
For the centre-right it is “serious that the governor is shirking”. Maurizio Gasparri (FI), member of the commission, quips: «Instead of him coming to Rome, we will go to Bari. Appointment at the house of the boss’s sister who he went to visit with Decaro…». Very hard Raffaella Paita (Iv) also in San Macuto: «Subversive behavior from Emiliano». While the Democratic Party defends him: «The Anti-Mafia is used by the commissioners of the majority as a club for electoral purposes».
