Supreme Court of Cassation Prosecutor
Pasquale Ciccolo on Wednesday defended his decision to open
disciplinary proceedings against Naples prosecutor John Woodcock
over comments made to the media.
But at a meeting of the judiciary's self-governing body, the
CSM, he also said that he had no doubts about the merits of an
investigation into alleged corruption linked to civil-service
procurement agency CONSIP.
The disciplinary action regards an article published
in La Repubblica on April 21 in which Woodcock spoke about the
relations between prosecutors in Rome and Naples probing graft
at CONSIP and a probe opened by Rome prosecutors against
Carabinieri environmental department (NOE) policeman Giampaolo
Scafarto.
Among other things, Woodcock described as a "serious mistake"
Scafarto's attributing to arrested businessman Alfredo Romeo,
and not to centre-right politician Italo Bocchino, a phrase
allegedly concerning a meeting with the father of ex-premier
Matteo Renzi, Tiziano.
The elder Renzi is under investigation for suspected
influence peddling while Sports Minister Luca Lotti is being
probed for suspected revelation of judicial secrets.
"(The procedure) does not put into doubt the freedom to
express thought, nor the authenticity of the investigations that
the Naples and Rome prosecutors are conducting on a delicate
issue," Ciccolo said after some fellow CSM members expressed
support after he came under fire.
"I did my duty and gave the colleague the chance to defend
himself".
Ciccolo also stressed that "I don't know him and am not
trying to know him" regarding Matteo Renzi.
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