Controversial Italian law tops Swiss talks
Switzerland is demanding an explanation from Italy over a change to its law that would restrict legal cooperation between the two.
A delegation of Swiss experts is to meet Italian justice authorities in Rome on Thursday to discuss a 1998 agreement to increase cross-border judicial cooperation.
Swiss justice minister Ruth Metzler said recent legal changes made by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi were contrary to the spirit of the 1998 deal.
Under the law, which was ratified by the Italian parliament, Rome can now dismiss findings of investigations carried out by other countries, if their procedures do not correspond with those of Italy.
Opposition parliamentarians say the new legislation will effectively grant the country’s prime minister and media baron, Silvio Berlusconi, and several of his allies immunity from prosecution in a number of corruption investigations.
Swiss inquiries
Switzerland is trying to find out how exactly the new law will affect the 1998 deal, which is not still in effect, said Swiss justice ministry spokesman, Folco Galli.
The delegation, headed by Swiss justice ministry director Heinrich Koller, will then present a report to Metzler. The government is expected to decide in “the light of clarification from Rome,” Galli said.
Correspondents said a delay in ratifying the agreement would not be excluded if Bern were not convinced by Italy’s explanations.
This law is “disconcerting” for Italian magistrates as well as Swiss prosecutors, said Swiss federal prosecutor Bernard Bertossa.
Berlusconi’s lawyers have already used the new law to request that all evidence against their client contained in the commission be dropped.
Berlusconi has been the subject of several judicial inquiries and he is still under investigation by judges in Milan over matters relating to his Finninvest media empire. They are seeking information from Swiss authorities as part of their investigation.
swissinfo with agencies
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.