Roundup: Italian PM turns down magistrates' criticism of corruption as "hurting"

Italian magistrates on Tuesday voiced criticism of the country's political leadership for a lack of efforts in fighting corruption, a day after a new scandal hit the country.

"A respectable state should work hard to avoid the risk of corruption," president of Italy's National Magistrates Association (ANM) Rodolfo Sabelli said in an interview with RAI State television.

"Unfortunately, the very opposite has happened in Italy," Sabelli said.

The ANM chief's remarks came in response to a major operation carried out on Monday, in which 4 people were arrested and 51 others were put under investigation over alleged corruption in multi-billion public contracts.

The head of the magistrates' association cited some specific provisions and laws, which would have favored the spread of corruption over the last two decades.

In 1994, during a first huge scandal known as "Tangentopoli" that swamped Italy's entire political system, "the government was expected to take a hard line against corruption; instead, it approved a measure to allow people suspected of bribery to get house arrests and avoid prison," Sabelli said.

"Further caresses on this sort came later, such as in 2002, when the offense of false accounting was partly decriminalized, or in 2005, when the statute of limitations was reduced for certain crimes (white collar corruption included)," the senior magistrate added.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi turned down Sabelli's criticism by saying such remarks were "hurting and unfair."

Monday's operation was ordered by prosecutors in Florence, and arrests were made in Rome and Milan. Among those arrested was a former top manager in the Infrastructure Ministry, Ercole Incalza, who had served under several governments and was still a consultant.

The contracts put under scrutiny were related to the construction of Italy's high-speed rail network (TAV) and the Italian Pavilion at the Expo Milano 2015. Overall, they would be worth 25 billion euros (26.5 billion U.S. dollars), according to head of the Special Operation Police Mario Parente.

The Milan Expo world fair had already been at the center of a corruption investigation in 2014.

This latest probe might also directly impact the current cabinet, as the son of Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi was allegedly hired by one of the people arrested, according to prosecutors.

The scandal prompted both leftist and rightwing opposition parties in parliament to ask for Lupi's resignation and an overhaul of the tender system of public contracts.

Minister Lupi denied any involvement, and rejected the calls to resign on Tuesday. The minister will be asked to report to the Senate over the probe.

A comprehensive anti-corruption package is currently being discussed within the Senate committee, but its swift approval has been hampered by rising political tension in latest months.

In the latest Corruption Perceptions Index 2014, Italy ranked 69th out of 174 countries, well below the European Union (EU) average and alongside Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. Endit