Italy's former prime minister Conte defends pandemic decisions before parliamentary panel

Former Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte defended his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic during an extensive hearing before a parliamentary inquiry commission. Addressing lawmakers at Palazzo San Macuto, the Five Star Movement leader maintained that his government acted with full legality and transparency when deploying emergency decrees, procurement programs, and containment measures.

Conte announced that he delivered an anonymous document to prosecutors in Rome concerning a roughly 100-million-euro mask transaction involving supplier JC Electronics, urging judicial authorities to investigate potential counterfeiting. Rejecting accusations from ruling coalition lawmakers, Conte insisted that no wrongdoing occurred under his leadership and urged the commission to avoid functioning as a partisan tribunal.

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