Perugia Chief Prosecutor Raffaele Cantone told the Parliamentary Anti-mafia Commission on Thursday that the "market' for illegal access to State databases did not stop with the case of a finance police officer who snooped on politicians and celebrities while in service at the NationalAnti-mafia Prosecutor's Department.
The case has become a political issue, in part because many of the public figures spied on are on the right of political spectrum, with the victims demanding to know if the cop at the center of the probe was following orders from above.
Finance police officer Pasquale Striano is accused to have illegally accessed the data of figures including DefenceMinister Guido Crosetto, Business Minister Adolfo Urso, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Labor Minister Marina Elvira Calderone, Environment and Energy SecurityMinister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Education Minister GiuseppeValditara, Silvio Berlusconi's former partner and MP MartaFascina, ex-premiers Giuseppe Conte (and his partner OliviaPaladino) and Matteo Renzi, rapper and TV personality Fedez, soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus coach MassimilianoAllegri, Confindustria business group chief Carlo Bonomi and League leader Matteo Salvini's girlfriend Francesca Verdini.
He allegedly did this via abuse of the so-called 'SOS' system, which enables officials to rummage through the information stored on databases of individuals if the authorities receive a report of a suspect financial operation by them.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint by Crosetto after he noticed that a newspaper report contained confidential information about him that could only have been obtained illegally.
“The suspicious operation reports (SOSs) market has not stopped at all,” Cantone told the commission.
"We have resounding proof: in the first leak (of informationabout the probe), a reference came out to an SOS regarding a businessman who reportedly had dealings with the defense minister and that SOS had not been seen by Striano. "
So someone was continuing to sell SOSs under the counter".
Cantone said leaks to the press about the developments in the probe were "damaging the investigation", saying he did not know where the leaks were coming form.
He added that it is "necessary to restore truth and protect theAnti-mafia Prosecutor's Department".
National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo reported to the commission on the case on Wednesday and said he thought it unexpectedly Striano had acted alone.
"I believe there are many elements that conflict with the idea of an action conceived and organized by a single, supposedlyunfaithful officer," he said.
"One of the central points of Perugia prosecutors will be tounderstand Striano's person and system of relations," he added.
Prosecutors believe that some of the data allegedly obtained by Striano was used for journalistic purposes, while other data may have been passed on to a private investigator or used by Striano for personal purposes.
A number of journalists are among 14 people under investigation in relation to the case.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA