Giuseppe Conte defends Covid response and reports mask deal to prosecutors

Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte defended his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during a parliamentary inquiry in Rome, asserting that no illegalities were committed under his leadership.

During a hearing lasting over three hours, the Five Star Movement leader addressed inquiries regarding executive decrees, vaccine strategies, and emergency procurement. Conte also disclosed that he submitted an anonymous document to prosecutors in Rome detailing a 100-million-euro transaction with supplier JC Electronics, urging authorities to inspect suspected counterfeit masks.

Rebuffing political criticism from the governing majority, Conte maintained that his government acted properly and warned against converting the parliamentary inquiry into a political attack against opposition leadership.

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