Former Italian prime minister Conte defends pandemic record before parliamentary inquiry

Former Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte delivered an extensive defense of his administration's pandemic response during a parliamentary commission hearing in Rome.

Conte, who temporarily stepped down from the panel to testify as a witness, rejected allegations of wrongdoing and defended his government's emergency decrees, procurement decisions, and vaccination strategies. He warned lawmakers against turning the inquiry into a political tribunal, asserting that investigators were welcome to scrutinise his conduct.

During the session, the Five Star Movement leader revealed he had submitted an anonymous document to Rome prosecutors regarding a 100-million-euro contract with JC Electronics involving potentially counterfeit protective masks. Conte urged judicial authorities to conduct a full examination of the procurement transaction while maintaining that his administration acted lawfully throughout the health emergency.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica.