“As a guarantor I always think about the presumption of innocence”, the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordiois perplexed by the house arrest of the president of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti together with others in a maxi investigation concerning corruption and acts contrary to official duties. On the sidelines of the States General of Accountants in Rome, where he is located, he puts forward the hypothesis of a clockwork justice especially due to the timing of the investigations into alleged crimes committed years ago. ”I don’t like clichés, I prefer to keep in mind the principle of the presumption of innocence and the existence of an appeal”.
”My perplexity – underlines Nordio – is not the moment in which a precautionary measure is triggered with respect to the imminence of the elections, also because in Italy we vote very often; if I have any technical doubts, these concern the adoption of a measure with respect to the times in which the crime was committed and the time in which the investigations began”.
”I don’t know the documents – says Nordio – but I understand that these are facts that date back to a few years ago and that the investigation was not started today but some time ago. As a public prosecutor I have rarely asked for precautionary custody measures after years of investigation, taking into account whether the risk of escape, recurrence and contamination of evidence may still exist many years after the event that occurred”.
The deputy prime minister pronounces himself on a guarantee without ifs or buts Antonio Tajani: “I am a guaranteeist, for me a person is only guilty when he is convicted in the third degree of judgement. I am guilty for people from the centre-right area who can be involved as well as for those from the centre-left area”. From Gorizia the Foreign Minister specifies: “I am convinced that Toti will do everything to demonstrate his innocence and his non-involvement in the accusations concerning him. I want to be optimistic and confident for him”.
The leader of We Moderates, Maurizio Lupi, who is also Toti’s party companion, focuses on the goodness of the Ligurian government and trusts in the work of the judiciary: “The president of the Liguria Region has governed well. There is an investigation underway and we will follow its developments. In the past I witnessed arrests which then resulted in nothing, which I hope will happen now too. We trust in the judiciary, but let’s remember that there is the principle of presumption of innocence until the final sentence is given There have been governors and ministers who have resigned in the past, even if they turned out to be innocent. Everyone will make their own assessments. But chasing the decisions of the judiciary is always a mistake.” According to Lupi, there is no damage to the party’s image: “Our political proposal moves forward with more strength”.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Francesco Lollobrigida speaks of “heavy accusations” 20 days before the vote: “The accusations for Toti are serious. I have read that this is the case, I have seen that these long investigations, I think I understand three years, end 20 days before the vote with important arrests, we have faith in the judiciary. We hope that President Toti can demonstrate his ignorance of the facts, but obviously we can only look at what happens and try to understand the reasons that led to this situation”.
Schlein: “If the accusations were confirmed it would be right for Toti to resign”
Should Toti resign? “In my opinion, yes. If confirmed, the accusations paint a picture of unprecedented gravity. A corrupt system and a relationship with organized crime that reaches the top of the Government of the Region. I am a guarantor but when the accusations are so serious there is ‘political opportunity to take a step back, out of respect for the institutions.” The secretary of the Democratic Party said it Elly Schlein on It’s always Cartabianca, on Rete 4. “It would be right to resign,” he added.
Pd and M5s ask the Government for information on the Pnrr funds
The Democratic Party and the 5 Star Movement ask for information from the Government on Liguria. The dem is the one to speak in the Chamber Valentina Ghio who warns: “The institutional collapse of these hours makes us very worried”. “The Pnrr’s investments respect the due deadlines, in Genoa there are a series of works bound to a tight deadline with huge investments”, he continues, asking on behalf of the party that the government report and “inform Parliament on what it intends to do in this regard “.
The five-star leader Giuseppe Conte he asks Toti to draw the consequences of what is happening, alluding to his resignation: “The investigation has just come out. It seems there are precise facts, serious accusations. It is good that Toti draws the consequences to protect the institutions from discredit which hurts everyone.”
“I appeal to citizens to go and vote en masse so there will no longer be a need to pay and we will be able to contain this malfeasance”, concludes Conte.
The mayor of Milan Beppe Sala he says he has difficulty in commenting, because he has a personal relationship with Toti: “I know Toti well and I also saw him recently in Liguria, I also have a personal relationship with him so, beyond this, how do you do it to comment on something like that?”.
The leader of Italia Viva, Matteo Renzi, claims as on every occasion his guaranteeist creed: “You already know what my answer is on a case like this. We are in opposition to Toti in Liguria, our candidate there was Paita. Nonetheless, we are guaranteed. We do not comment on investigations, arrests, warrant notices. We will comment on the sentences in due course, if there are any. I do not believe that a judicial measure should automatically influence the democratic life of the country. Questions of opportunity? Those concern those directly interested. We must respect the Constitution”, Renzi was also at the States General of Accountants at the Nuvola di Fuksas in Rome.
For Nicola Fratoianniof the Greens and Left Alliance, the word must go back to the voters.
