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.
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