MILAN: Italian authorities put the mayor of Venice under house arrest yesterday and issued warrants for more than 30 people for suspected corruption over a ¤5bn ($6.8bn) flood barrier project, the latest scandal to engulf Italian politics.
The Moses project, designed to save the famed canal city from sinking into the lagoon it is built on, was first mooted back in 1966 but construction did not start until 2004, due to wrangling over its design, funding and environmental impact.
In a statement, Venice prosecutors said they had issued 25 jail warrants and 10 for house arrest - on allegations of corruption, illicit party financing and tax fraud.
Police sources said Venice’s centre-left mayor, Giorgio Orsoni, was among those placed under house arrest.
Reuters
