The Milan prosecutor Francesco Greco said Tuesday that it was unnecessary to question Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini about the alleged Russian funding for the Lega Party, local media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2019) The Milan prosecutor Francesco Greco said Tuesday that it was unnecessary to question Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini about the alleged Russian funding for the Lega Party, local media reported.Earlier in the day, Salvini said he would respond to the parliament's questions in relation to the probe.
The prosecutor added that the investigation is expected to be long, complex and difficult, the ANSA agency reported.
On Thursday, Milan prosecutors publicly announced that they had been probing the allegations on Lega having received up to 65 million Euros (about $73 million) in funding from Russia.
The rumors about the alleged funding of Lega Nord by Russia have been circulating since February when Italian weekly L'Espresso claimed that Salvini and his representatives discussed financing of the Lega Nord party with Russian officials during the October visit to Moscow ahead of the European elections. The party allegedly gained 3 million euros ($3.3 million) under cover of Russian diesel exports. Moscow, as well as Salvini, repeatedly refuted the allegations.
Earlier in July, the BuzzFeed news portal published a transcript of a conversation between Salvini's representatives and Russian officials allegedly discussing financing the Italian party through the supply of Russian oil. The conversation took place on October 18, 2018, according to the media outlet.
