Industry ministry official arrested for 'attemped bribe'
Bruno Colantonio allegedly demanded 20,000 euros
12 April, 19:29
(ANSA) - Rome, April 12 - An official at the industry ministry was arrested Thursday on suspicion of demanding a bribe to spare a businessman a fine.
The official, Bruno Colantonio, was taken into custody after the unnamed businessman claimed he asked him for 20,000 euros ($26,400), police said.
A probe has been opened to see whether Colantonio, who risks 4-12 years in jail, allegedly committed other such acts.
The official will be given an immediate trial, which police said was "very rare" in cases of alleged extortion.
New probe against Puglia governor
Six others involved in hospital funds transfer investigation
13 April, 15:11
(ANSA) - Bari, April 13 - Further investigations have been opened against Italian left-wing politician and Puglia Governor Nichi Vendola, along with six others, for alleged irregularities in the transfer of regional funding to a local hospital between 2002-2009. On Wednesday, Vendola called an emergency press conference to announce that he was being probed for alleged abuse of office regarding the appointment of a local chief of surgeons, Paolo Sardelli, at Bari's San Paolo hospital in 2010. Vendola said that the "resentment-fed" accusations were based on testimony against him from Lea Cosentino, the former head of Bari's health board whom Vendola fired in 2010 after she was placed under house arrest during a graft investigation. The latest allegations of fraud, forgery and embezzlement involve the unfinished transfer of 45 million euros from the Region of Puglia to Bari's Miulli hospital, said investigators.
The probes also include Senator Alberto Tedesco, ex-local health councilor Tommaso Fiore, the bishop of Altamura-Gravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti Monsignor Mario Paciello and the Muilli hospital director Father Mimmo Laddaga.
Crisis: Greece, Athens hotels see revenue fall (-19.1%)
(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, APRIL 13 - The average revenue per room per night at three-, four- and five-star hotels in Athens dropped by 19.1% in February compared with the same month last year, coming to just 36.50 euros, according to a survey conducted for the Athens-Attica Hotel Association ans published by daily Kathimerini. In comparison, Istanbul hotels enjoyed an average revenue of 71 euros per room, almost twice that of their Athenian counterparts. The occupancy rate in the Greek capital dropped by 16%, amounting to just 41.3%. Athens hotels had the lowest room prices among 10 European cities that the survey covered, with the average rate coming to 88.30 euros per night after a 3.7% decline from February 2011.
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