Salvini: “I want to be tried. The case will boomerang on the prosecutor of Agrigento. I’m sorry for him”
Investigated by Sicilian magistrates for illegal detention, illegal arrest and abuse of power, the interior minister, speaking to Il Messaggero and Libero [newspapers], talks of having received many messages of solidarity and that he will waive immunity. “I want to see how it will end.”
“In Agrigento, everything will come out positively, and therefore I thank the prosecutor because it will boomerang.” For Matteo Salvini, the investigation opened by the Sicilian magistrates regarding the ship, Diciotti, which sees him accused of illegal detention, illegal arrest and abuse of power, “Everything will come out positively,” says the minister to Messaggero. And remembering having received many messages of solidarity, also on the part of judges and prosecutors, speaking to Libero, beginning today there is a signature collection [petition] in his support. To the question of whether he will ask the Senate to say “no” to an authorization to proceed, he responds, “Absolutely not.” If the tribunal says that I must be tried, I will go before the magistrates and explain that I am not a kidnapper. I want to see how this will end.”
Besides the waiving of immunity, he commented also on the choice of the Agrigento prosecutor. “I have only done my work as minister, and am ready to do it again. For the rest, I am sorry for the Agrigento prosecutors. I think that with all the problems that Sicily has, the priority is certainly not to investigate Salvini. And he was the same one who some months ago said, ‘The risks of terrorists on board the boats is high.’ Has he changed his mind?” He then turned to the idea of reforming justice. “But not for the investigation into Salvini — exactly — but because we have millions of trials delayed and this is one of the problems that stops investment in Italy.” He then remembers having received “a tide of messages of solidarity”, and continues:” I believe that (the prosecutors) in Agrigento have misjudged if they thought they could intimidate someone.” Among the many messages of support, there are some from judges and public ministers from various prosecutors’ offices.
Nationalist Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini says he welcomes the deep state witch hunt against him for acting to protect his nation's borders and predicts the case will "boomerang" on the prosecutor.