M5S suspends Parma Mayor Pizzarotti (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, May 13 - The 5-Star Movement (M5S) said Friday that it has suspended Parma Mayor Federico Pizzarotti from the anti-establishment group after he was put under investigation over appointments at the city's Teatro Regio theatre. "Federico Pizzarotti has been suspended from the 5-Star Movement," read a statement on the blog of M5S leader Beppe Grillo. "Transparency is the first duty for administrators and spokespersons of the 5-Star Movement. "Given that it is impossible to have an in-depth, objective assessment of the documents, he was suspended to protect the honour of the 5-Star Movement".
    The M5S prides itself on not being tainted by the multitude of corruption scandals that have hit Italy's traditional parties and it has staged outraged attacks on Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) after several recent probes. So the Pizzarotti case, combined with that of Livorno Mayor Filippo Nogarin who has been notified he is under investigation over the Tuscan city's trash collection company, risked being a big embarrassment to the movement.
    Pizzarotti said he is relaxed, arguing the fact he is under investigation is just a formality and denying having done anything wrong. Pizzarotti was the M5S's first representative to be elected mayor of his provincial capital in 2012, a key moment in the development of a movement that's is now challenging the PD to be Italy's top political force. But Pizzarotti's relationship with the movement's leadership has been strained by several differences.