The Italian government on Wednesday sparked controversy when it announced Mafia informant Gaspare Spatuzza would not be given police protection as he had taken too long to turn state’s evidence.
Spatuzza last year testifed that the party founded by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resulted from negotiations between the Italian state and the Sicilian Mafia and said he is still prepared to cooperate with investigators.
“He has repeated his willingness to cooperate,” Florence prosecutor Giuseppe Quattrocchi said on Wednesday.
But former prosecutor and leader of the left-leaning Italy of Values Party, Mr Antonio Di Pietro, said Spatuzza was “a dead man walking” after the Italian interior ministry refused to grant him the police protection. Spatuzza was rejected by the commission because he began to cooperate with investigators long after the period of 180 days given to him to do so, according to a commission statement.
The move was described as “political” and “intimidatory” by the Italian Opposition. But an under-secretary at the interior ministry defended the decision and said he was prepared to explain it to the Italian Parliament’s anti-mafia commission. “Not admitting an informant to a protection programme has nothing to do with and is independent from any decision to use his declarations in a trial,” said Alfredo Mantovano.
“The interior ministry’s commission had its reason for taking this decision, reached after extensive reflection,” he added. Italian prosecutors also slammed the decision.