Marco Rizzone, a 37-year-old MP for
the 5-Star Movement (M5S), is the third lawmaker suspected of
claiming a benefit designed to help self-employed people during
the coronavirus emergency.
M5S leader Vito Crimi said in a statement that he has reported
Rizzone to the M5S's internal disciplinary panel, asking for the
MP to be immediately suspended and given the "most severe
penalty".
A huge outcry has broken out after it emerged that many
politicians, including at least three parliamentarians, claimed
the 600-euro benefit.
Matteo Salvini's opposition rightwing League party has suspended
two MPs in relation to the row - Elena Murelli and Andrea Dara.
However, Pasquale Tridico, the president of pensions and social
security agency INPS, told the Lower House's labour committee on
Friday that no body knew the names of the MPs' involved because
the agency had protected their privacy.
The lawmakers reportedly were able to claim the benefit because
they also had active value-added tax accounts.
The cases of the lawmakers and hundreds of local councillors
were reportedly uncovered by the anti-fraud unit of INPS.
INPS was reportedly unable to press charges though as
technically the well-paid MPs did not break the law.
But their conduct was clearly against the spirit of the
legislation and there have been bipartisan calls for INPS to
release the names of the MPs involved.
INPS sources said Monday that privacy rules prevented them from
doing this.
But on Tuesday Italy's privacy watchdog said that the nation's
privacy rules do not prevent the publication of the names of the
beneficiaries if "it is not possible to identify a condition of
social-economic hardship in the interested party". It added that
this was even more the case when the people involved carried out
public functions.
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