'Advisor' at centre of ministry row posts documents

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 4 - Influencer Maria Rosaria Boccia in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday published documents on Instagram disputing government claims that she was never allowed undue access to events as an alleged advisor to Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano and that no public money was spent for expenses connected to her participation in events. In particular, Boccia posted to her Instagram account, which has over 33,000 followers, the audio of a phone call with a culture ministry official referring to contacts taken with a member of Sangiuliano's team, an email in which team members provide her with contacts "for any need connected to her appointment as the minister's advisor for major events", as well as an email of the head of the ministry's office with plane tickets for her, Sangiuliano and a third person to attend an official event.
    The mail also includes the program of a ceremony to give Sangiuliano the 'honorary citizenship' of Pompeii, the location which was supposed to host key events of an upcoming G7 Culture summit.
    Boccia is alleged to have had access to reserved documents on the G7 summit without security clearance.
    Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano on Tuesday afternoon met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for about an hour and a half at Palazzo Chigi to stem the burgeoning scandal over Boccia who was allegedly allowed undue access to events and sensitive information.
    After the meeting, Sangiuliano said that he had reiterated to Meloni the "truth of my statements" contained in a letter he had sent that morning to Turin daily La Stampa: "never a euro of the ministry, not even a coffee, were spent for trips and stays" of the influencer and fashion entrepreneur who, "regarding the organization of the G7 Culture" summit, "never had access to documents of a reserved nature".
    Italy's centre-left opposition called on the government to report to parliament over allegations that Boccia was involved in email exchanges containing reserved information about the organization of the G7 Culture meeting with some members calling for Sangiuliano's resignation On Wednesday, Sangiuliano told Turin daily La Stampa that "I don't understand how my resignation can be requested, I didn't do anything wrong, neither at a juridical level, nor at an institutional level".
    During official trips taken as culture minister in June, July and August, Sangiuliano said he "paid for everything myself with my personal credit card".
    "I'm publishing everything, receits, bank statements related to the places we visited together, from Taormina to Polignano, from Sanremo to Milan".
    He added that, in some cases, expenses were paid for by the organizations behind events, including various literary festivals.
    Sangiuliano has stated that he tipped Boccia as an unpaid advisor to the culture ministry but her appointment did not go through over concerns of potential conflicts of interests she might have as an influencer and fashion entrepreneur. (ANSA).