Delmastro: the Executive Committee has rejected the prosecutors’ request to obtain the chat records. The M5S occupies the government benches
Following the Authorisations Committee’s refusal to grant permission to proceed, the bill will be brought before the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday 30 July for a final decision
Key points
The Committee on Authorisation to Proceed has rejected the request by prosecutors at the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office to obtain the chat records between Andrea Delmastro and the restaurateur Mauro Caroccia, who is in custody on mafia charges. Meanwhile, MPs from the Five Star Movement occupied the government benches in the Senate in protest, holding up placards reading ‘release the chat logs’.
Commotion in the Chamber
The sitting was suspended. The occupation of the government benches lasted over half an hour. “Shame on you, shame on you,” shouted the Five Star Movement senators. The centre-right responded in unison: “Clowns, clowns”.
A united centre-right
The centre-right voted in favour of the proposal put forward by the rapporteur, Pietro Pittalis of the Azzurri party, thereby refusing authorisation for the seizure of correspondence. The centre-left voted against it. “The report highlighted the critical issues with the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office’s request, relating to the vagueness of the subject matter, the lack of a time frame and the failure to demonstrate that less intrusive measures were impracticable,” Pittalis told Agi.
Committee meeting to discuss the authorisations report on 30 July
Following the Authorisations Committee’s refusal to grant permission to proceed, the bill will be brought before the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday 30 July. This was decided at today’s meeting of the group leaders at Montecitorio.
Conte: no more chats with the Senese clan’s frontmen
M5S leader Giuseppe Conte has launched an attack: “It’s unbelievable. They’ve put up a shield. A shield to protect citizens against plummeting wages, the high cost of living and sky-high fuel prices. But as if that were possible. Just a short while ago, Parliament’s Committee on Authorisation to Proceed granted immunity to Delmastro of Fratelli d’Italia. Do you remember Delmastro? He’s the one from the ‘Bisteccheria’ affair, the one who set up a company to do business with the relatives of the Senese clan’s front man. To continue its investigation, the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office wanted to obtain the chat records of Delmastro and the Senese clan’s front man. Yet Meloni’s centre-right said ‘no’. And they go on and on about legality and transparency. What do they have to hide? Is it possible that they would go so far as to obstruct the Public Prosecutor’s investigation when a mafia clan is involved? At least do us a favour: stop talking about the rule of law and transparency; stop claiming that your political actions are inspired by the ideas and thoughts of Borsellino. After the rescue of Santanchè, you have once again lost face. We await you in the Chamber to discuss this shameful decision. We will fight you on this. ‘Bring out the chat logs,’ he concludes.
