Rome, Aug. 2, (dpa/GNA) – The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brunaro, is coming under increasing pressure over a corruption scandal in the city hall of the Italian lagoon city.
At a turbulent meeting of the city council on Friday, he rejected all demands for his resignation, after it emerged that the public prosecutor’s office is investigating him.
The right-wing politician faces allegations of bribery against his administration, but also has questions to answer over a property that belongs to him personally.
The mayor told the city council, “I have done nothing wrong. I will fight for my honour.”
In total, more than 20 suspects are under investigation, including his chief of staff. Transport department head Renato Boraso, also a friend of Brugnaro’s, was arrested last month, and more than €2 million ($2.1 million), the origin of which is unclear, were seized.
Brugnaro, who has been in office since 2015, has been in the news worldwide in recent months due to the introduction of an entrance fee for day-trippers wishing to visit Venice. He is close to Italy’s right-wing party Forza Italia, part of the governing coalition.
The corruption investigation also involves a plot of land at the entrance to the lagoon on the mainland, which he bought a few years ago for €5 million. It is now said to be worth €150 million.
According to Italian media reports, a wealthy investor from Singapore, who bought a palace on the Grand Canal relatively cheaply with the mayor’s approval in 2018 and turned it into a luxury hotel, is also involved in the investigation.
A recording of a telephone conversation between the mayor and the head of the transport department from March 2023 was unearthed by investigators.
In it, Brugnaro is heard warning that “People tell me you’re asking for money. I don’t think you realise that. You’re risking too much. I’m telling you: you have to be careful and control yourself better.”