Lorenzo Cesa said Thursday that he
had resigned as the leader of the centrist, opposition UDC party
after being notified by criminal prosecutors that he was under
investigation.
La Repubblica's website reported that Cesa's Rome home had been
searched as part of a big nationwide operation called 'low
profile' targetting the 'Ndrangheta mafia.
Cesa denies any wrongdoing.
"I have received notification that I am under investigation for
events dating back to 2017," Cesa said.
"I consider myself to be totally innocent and I will ask, via my
lawyers, to speak to the competent prosecutors as soon as
possible.
"As always, I have full and total faith in the judiciary.
"And given the particular period the country is going through, I
resign as national secretary (of the UDC) with immediate
effect".
The region of Calabria's budget chief, UDC member Franco
Talarico, was put under house arrest as part of the 'low
profile' op, sources said.
The Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta is now widely considered to be
Italy's most powerful mafia.
The operation, coordinated by Catanzaro prosecutors, saw 13
people arrested and taken to jail while another 35 were put
under house arrest, sources said.
It involved around 200 State, Carabinieri and finance police and
members of the DIA anti-mafia department, with the support of
four dog units and a helicopter.
Many of the suspects are seemingly respectable white-collar
workers based in the province of Catanzaro, the sources said.
These included public officials who were allegedly in cahoots
with the mob and some important business people.
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