Pasquale Striano, the finance policeofficer who is alleged to have illegally accessed the data of a wide range of public figures including politicians and celebrities while he was deployed at the National Anti-mafia Prosecutor's Department (DNA), said Sunday he would answer to the charges against him before a judge.
"They will see what happens," said Striano in a message sent to the daily newspaper Il Giornale.
"I did my job with absolute dignity and professionalism and with my methods, not those used by bureaucrats," he added.
The finance police officer is under investigation in Perugia together with DNA prosecutor and several other suspects in a case that has caused a public outcry amid calls for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry.
Striano is alleged to have illegally accessed the data of figures including Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, BusinessMinister Adolfo Urso, Agriculture Minister FrancescoLollobrigida, Labor Minister Marina Elvira Calderone, Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto PichettoFratin, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, SilvioBerlusconi's former partner and MP Marta Fascina , ex-premiersGiuseppe Conte (and his partner Olivia Paladino) and MatteoRenzi, rapper and TV personality Fedez, soccer great CristianoRonaldo, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, Confindustriabusiness group chief Carlo Bonomi and League leader MatteoSalvini'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.
However, National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo told Parliament's Anti-Mafia Commission on Wednesday that Striano is unlikely to have acted alone.
Photo: National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo.
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