Berlusconi Says Confident Italy's Lega Party Never Received Funding From Russia

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed confidence on Wednesday, citing a conversation he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Italy's euroskeptic Lega party had never received any funding from Moscow, despite rumors to the contrary

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2019) Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed confidence on Wednesday, citing a conversation he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Italy's euroskeptic Lega party had never received any funding from Moscow, despite rumors to the contrary.

On Thursday, Italian prosecutors publicly announced that they were probing the claims that Lega members entertained the possibility of getting some 65 million Euros ($72 million) from Russian officials as part of a covert deal. Matteo Salvini, a deputy prime minister and the party's leader, said he would go to parliament to answer any questions regarding the case, but the prosecution said that this was not necessary and that the investigation was expected to be long and complex.

"I am confident that Russia did not provide any financing to the Lega party. Vladimir Putin has assured me of this himself and he did not have any reason to tell me anything but the truth," Berlusconi said in an interview aired by Italy's Rai broadcaster.

Berlusconi noted that a meeting might have taken place between Italian and Russian officials to discuss matters related to energy exports, as Moscow is a major supplier of Europe's gas and oil, but the Italian politician emphasized that any discussion of financing a political party was completely "illegal."

The rumors about Russia allegedly funding the Lega party have been circulating since February, when Italian L'Espresso weekly claimed that Salvini and his representatives discussed the matter with Russian officials during their October visit to Moscow ahead of the European elections. The party allegedly received 3 million euros under the guise of Russian diesel exports, the news outlet claimed. Moscow as well as Salvini have repeatedly refuted the allegations.