Justice Minister Carlo Nordio on
Thursday defended his plans to make the regulations for the use
of wiretaps by investigators stricter, saying there was a risk
of a "democracy cut in half" if the government does not
intervene to stop abuses.
Reporting to the Lower House, the minister also reiterated that
his reform would not affect cases of organized crime and
terrorism.
Nordio's planned reform has come under renewed fire after
wiretaps played a role in the arrest this week of Mafia boss
Matteo Messina Denaro after 30 years on the run.
But Nordio says cases like this would not be affected by his
plans.
"I never intended to touch terrorism and mafia wiretaps, or the
satellite crimes of these pernicious phenomena, in the
slightest," he said.
Nordio argues that it is necessary to tighten up the wiretap
rules to prevent the reputations of innocent people being
damaged by recordings of conversations getting leaked to the
press.
He also said the government would fix some "critical issues"
regarding a reform passed by his predecessor Marta Cartabia
aimed at speeding up Italy's criminal justice after reports of
mobsters being released due to the effects of the reform.
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