Italian justice is investigating former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and former Health Minister Roberto Speranza for fighting the first phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

The news was broadcast by public television Rai, adding that the investigation was being carried out in Bergamo and concerns, among others, the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, the president of the Superior Health Fund, Silvio Bruzzaferro, and the former head of the Italian Civil Protection, Angelo Borelli.

The case concerns measures taken three years ago to combat the pandemic in the Bergamo region. Italian justice will consider whether the epidemic was caused by negligence, multiple reckless homicides and whether there was a failure to make decisions to protect public health.

According to the newspaper La Stampa, in the wider Bergamo region, from the end of February to April 2020, 6,000 more deaths were recorded than the average for previous years, due to COVID-19.

It is not yet clear whether the investigation will lead to prosecution or whether it will be included in the protocol.

Former Prime Minister Conte and former Health Minister Speranza said they were ready to cooperate with justice, stressing that the decisions were made with the sole purpose of protecting the health of citizens.

Source: RES-IPE