The former Italian Prime Minister defends his innocence and responds with a complaint to the magistrates who accuse him
Matteo Renzi runs the risk of moving from the palaces of power to the bench of the accused. The one who was Prime Minister of Italy between 2014 and 2016 could be prosecuted for the alleged irregular financing of a foundation linked to his political force, Italia Viva. This group, born in 2019 from a split from the Democratic Party (centre-left), is numerically small, but has played an important role in the Parliament of Rome during this legislature, acting as a hinge between the ideological blocs and thus facilitating the formation of governments. of coalition.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Florence, the city of which Renzi was mayor, asked this Wednesday that he be tried accusing him of raising funds through a foundation to finance his political initiatives and without respecting the transparency requirements that are required in these cases. It will be next April 4 when the magistrates decide in a preliminary hearing if they accept the request of the Prosecutor’s Office or, on the contrary, choose to file the case. Along with Renzi, a dozen of his collaborators could be prosecuted, among which two people of his highest confidence stand out, former ministers Maria Elena Boschi and Luca Lotti, both deputies.
As he had done repeatedly since the investigations began, the former prime minister defended his innocence and announced that he will denounce the prosecutors. “I have not committed any crime, I hope that the magistrates can also say the same,” Renzi said, using the old Silvio Berlusconi technique of defending himself against accusations by attacking Justice. In fact, he celebrated that the beginning of the process “in the classroom and not only in the media” will allow showing “the fragility of the accusation” and the “scandalous methods used by the Florence Prosecutor’s Office.”
Beyond this possible prosecution, the Florentine politician has been involved in controversy in recent months for his work as an advisor in various and profitable advisory operations in Russia, the United States and Saudi Arabia, where he has met with Mohamed bin Salmán , crown prince of this Arab country and considered responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
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