Delmastro scandal, Meloni: "He was light, but two days before the referendum perhaps... 'a little hand'"

"Delmastro has been light, but to say he is complicit..." The Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stands by the Undersecretary of Justice, Andrea Delmastro, who has come under fire for alleged dealings with the daughter of Mauro Caroccia, convicted of mafia-related crimes in an investigation into the Senese clan. And, two days before the referendum, she launches a new attack on the judiciary, evoking a "little hand" that "brings out the worst about the government in the last days of the referendum campaign, the Italians will evaluate." For Meloni, therefore, Delmastro must remain in his position, at least for now. "If the issue were broader and there were other problems - she specifies - the judiciary will take its course."

But the storm shows no signs of calming down, quite the opposite. Two more photos have fueled the controversy. One published by the newspaper Il Domani, which depicts Delmastro once again in the restaurant 'under accusation', just two months ago. The image dates back to late January at the establishment Bisteccheria d’Italia, in which Delmastro held shares that were later sold. Next to him in the photo is Raffaele Tuttolomondo, a unionist of the prison police. But the undersecretary has also been at that establishment with the head of cabinet of the ministry, Giusi Bartolozzi, who has recently come under scrutiny for calling judges a 'firing squad'. The latest photo of the dinner from June 3, in which they are captured along with other people, was published by 'Il Fatto Quotidiano'.

And it is precisely on potential money laundering activities related to the restaurant business that the investigative work of the prosecutors of the Dda of Rome is focusing, which has been ongoing for some time regarding the entrepreneurial activities of the Caroccia family. The file also includes the crime of fictitious asset ownership, including the company 'Le 5 Forchette Srl', in which the 18-year-old daughter of Caroccia appears as a shareholder (the man is serving a 4-year sentence for fictitious asset ownership with mafia aggravation). Delmastro was also part of the srl. Founded before a notary in Biella, it had the establishment on via Tuscolana where the restaurant was opened.

The opposition is loudly calling for the undersecretary to step down. "He must resign tonight" thunders the leader of the M5S Giuseppe Conte, arguing that the prime minister "must reset the leadership group in Piedmont. But the problem - he adds - is that she is a prisoner. A prisoner of her party colleagues." Echoing him is the leader of the Pd Elly Schlein: "It's the entire referendum campaign that from President Meloni to the rest of the government continues to shout 'those who make mistakes must pay, but does that not apply to them?'." Meanwhile, representatives of the M5S in the Antimafia and Justice committees of the Chamber and the Senate have presented a "motion of censure to ask Prime Minister Meloni to remove him immediately." And the magistrates of Unicost speak of a matter that is "extremely serious, an institutional breaking point that cannot be minimized or archived with silence".

In contrast, the President of the Senate Ignazio La Russa stated: "Certainly, one resigns if they have committed serious acts, if there are convictions. No one has ever resigned for a photo." Also siding with the undersecretary is the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto: "Knowing the interest that exists from magistrates towards any government official, I don't think he has done anything wrong or at least anything that he consciously could have done to harm himself, so I think he will be able to defend himself calmly on his own," he states.