Brothers of Italy (FdI) MP Giovanni
Donzelli did not inure the reputation and honour of three MPs
from the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) when he told the
House they had met with Mafia bosses during their jail visit to
hunger-striking anarchist leader Alfredo Cospito, the House's
jury of honour ruled Wednesday.
The special Lower House 'jury of honour' was sworn in last month
to probe comments made by Donzelli, an MP for Premier Giorgia
Meloni's FdI party, over the case of Cospito, who has lost over
50 kg in a five-month hunger strike against his tough 41 bis
prison regime, normally reserved for mafia bosses.
The 'jury of honour' is an investigative panel set up when a
lawmaker says their reputation has been harmed by accusations
made during a parliamentary debate.
Donzelli revealed that Cospito had talked to mafia bosses
about getting the 41 bis abolished.
During the debate Donzelli, a member of the Copasir
parliamentary committee that oversees Italy's intelligence
services, asked whether the PD was on the side of the State or
that of the mafia and terrorists.
Justice Undersecretary Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove, Donzelli's
flat mate and fellow FdI lawmaker, was the source of the
information.
Delmastro subsequently fuelled the row by saying that the PD
lawmakers had given in to Cospito's demand that they meet other
people being held under the 41 bis, including two mafia bosses,
as a condition for the encounter with him.
The PD has demanded Delmastro and Donzelli quit their
institutional positions for, among other things, revealing
allegedly secret information.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, however, has said that the
information was not classified.
Delmastro Delle Vedove, the justice undersecretary with the
portfolio for the penitentiary department, allegedly passed on
the information to Donzelli.
"We have had confirmation that he (Donzelli) did not have access
to classified documents at the (justice) ministry," said PD
House whip Debora Serracchiani, one of the MPs who visited
Cospito.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
