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15 July 2019The interrogation of Gianluca Savoini, president of the Lombardy-Russia association, lasted less than an hour, before the prosecutors in Milan, Gaetano Ruta and Sergio Spadaro. Savoini is under investigation for international corruption in connection with the October 18 meeting with two Italian and three Russian interlocutors at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow and the alleged Russian funds destined for the League.

The interrogation took place at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Police Department of the Guardia di Finanza in via Fabio Filzi in Milan and was short-lived because as far as Savoini is concerned it would have made use of the right not to answer.

Savoini received an invitation to appear for questioning in the afternoon in front of the pm. The invitation to appear was served on an ex officio lawyer but in the meantime he has appointed a trusted lawyer.

"I trust Salvini but we need transparency," said Prime Minister Conte. Di Maio has invited the other deputy prime minister to report to Parliament and asked to set up immediately a commission of inquiry into the financing of all the parties.

Yesterday, a note from Palazzo Chigi stated that "Gianluca Savoini was credited to the Italy-Russia forum by Claudio D'Amico, Matteo Salvini's advisor for international activities. His participation in the dinner held in Rome, at Villa Madama , on the evening of 4 July, during President Putin's visit to Italy, it was then an "automatic consequence".

"Requests for information on the presence of Mr. Gianluca Savoini at the dinner held in Rome, at Villa Madama, continue on the evening of July 4th, in honor of President Putin," reads the statement. "As already mentioned, the President of the Council does not personally know Mr Savoini. The dinner was offered by President Conte and the invitation was extended also to all the participants in the Italian-Russian Dialogue Forum of civil societies, which took place. it is held in the afternoon of the same day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aforementioned Forum was organized by the Presidency of the Forum itself and by ISPI ".

"After completing all the necessary checks, it is specified that Mr. Savoini's invitation to the Forum was solicited by Mr. Claudio D'Amico, councilor for the strategic international activities of Vice President Salvini, who, through the vice presidency office justified the invitation by virtue of the role of the president of the Lombardy-Russia Association and asked the officials of the Prime Minister to forward it to the Forum organizers. "Savoini was then an automatic consequence of its participation in the Forum", concludes the note.