Francesco Spano said Tuesday
that he had done nothing wrong and was the victim of
mud-slinging the day after he quit as the head of the
government's anti-racism and discrimination office UNAR.
Spano resigned following a television report that alleged
UNAR had allocated funding to a cultural association that
organized a sort of sex club for gays.
"I decided to resign not because I feel I am responsible for
anything, as I consider what I have done over the last year to
be correct, but out of respect for the office I had the honour
of leading," Spano said.
"In the coming weeks I will evaluate how to proceed to
protect my honour.
"What remains is the shocking consideration of how the mud-
slinging machine arms cowardly people who do not hesitate to
denigrate people who do their job fairly and properly".
The report by Mediaset show Le Iene screened footage that
suggested the association offered members a 'dark room' for sex.
It also showed clips of masseurs offering to perform sexual
acts for money.
Spano said the money allocated to the association in question
had not actually been passed over to it.
UNAR said it does not finance associations but specific
projects to fight discrimination.
Nevertheless, Spano's resignation did not stop calls from
several right-wing politicians for UNAR to be closed.
Spano quit Monday after being summoned by the premiership
undersecretary with the brief for equal opportunities, former
reform minister Maria Elena Boschi.
The TV report said it had documents suggesting that UNAR
chief Spano had been a member of the association, although Spano
denied this.
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