Rome: The president of the northwestern Italian region of Liguria and the former head of the port of Genoa were arrested on Tuesday in an anti-corruption probe targeting other officials for mafia ties.
Ligurian President Giovanni Totti, a former right-wing lawmaker who is close to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi but disagrees with the party, has been placed under house arrest, prosecutors in Genoa said in a statement.
The 55-year-old is accused of receiving a total of 74,100 euros ($79,700) in exchange for various favors for the election campaign between December 2021 and March 2023.
It is said to include the privatization of the public beach and the extension of the 30-year lease of the Genoa port terminal to a company controlled by the Spinelli family approved in December 2021.
He is accused of accepting money from Aldo Spinelli, 22 to stay at a luxury hotel in Monte Carlo – complete with casino chips, massages and beauty treatments – and luxuries including a €7,200 Cartier bracelet.
