As part of the inquiry, the WhatsApp messages shared between Italian politicians and senior health officials, when the coronavirus pandemic had just started, indicate how the leaders tried to protect the image of the country which was the first one to be hit in Europe while appearing to joke about the role of Italy in the spread of the virus in the continent.
The messages have emerged as the basis of which the prosecutors placed former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, former health minister Roberto Speranza along with 17 other officials under investigation under suspicion of having a role to play in “aggravated culpable epidemic” and manslaughter in relation to the response of the government at the beginning of the pandemic.
Italy emerged as the first European country which was engulfed by the coronavirus large outbreak, after the first locally transmitted case was confirmed in Codogno, southern Lombardy, on February 21, 2020.
In a WhatsApp message which was written on March 5, 2020, Speranza said that “we must exploit” a report which claimed that the first coronavirus case in Europe was detected in Germany. The minister was planning to take the step to protect Italy’s image.
Giuseppe Ruocco, who was the health ministry’s secretary general at the time and is being investigated, next day mocked the coronavirus cases detected among travellers returning from Italy in Europe.
WATCH | India and Italy celebrates 75 years of diplomatic relations
“Today we gave away 2 covid cases in Austria, 1 in France and 1 in Spain … and maybe 1 in Germany,” he said in a message.
The investigation, which was launched by prosecutors in Bergamo – a Lombardy province which was worst hit during the pandemic’s first wave – focuses on the authorities’ alleged failure in taking adequate measures to prevent coronavirus’ spread.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
