Premier Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday
she had received notice of investigation over Libyan judicial
police commander Najeem Osema Almasri Habish, wanted for war
crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and arrested in
Italy, released on a technicality, and flown back to Tripoli to
a hero's welcome aboard an Italian secret service plane.
She said she had received notice of a probe into possible aiding
and abetting and embezzlement of public funds from a prosecutor,
Francesco Lo Voi, who unsuccessfully prosecuted Deputy Premier
and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini for allegedly abducting
migrants as part of his closed ports policy to migrant rescue
ships as interior minister in 2019.
She said the same notice of investigation had been sent to
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo
Piantedosi and cabinet secretary with the intelligence brief
Alfredo Mantovano.
The ICC has demanded an explanation of the release of Almasri,
wanted on charges of alleged rape, murder and brutalising
migrants in a Tripoli jail.
The opposition has said Meloni belied her vow to pursue migrant
traffickers by land, sea and air in freeing Almasri, and linked
his release to a deal Rome has with Tripoli to fund the Libyan
coast guard in exchange for allegedly illegal pushbacks of
migrants.
Meloni said Tuesday she was "not going to be intimidated" and
repeated a favourite pledge of hers, "I am not susceptible to
blackmail".
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