Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thurdday
she was not in charge of AGI, the energy giant Eni-owned second
biggest Italian press agency rumoured to be set for sale to
rightwing newspaper owner and League MP Antonio Angelucci amid
conflict of interest and freedom of information fears.
"The Agi affair is one about which I have read so many
falsehoods that I feared Italy has now become the home of fake
news. I know nothing about what Eni is doing with Agi: I have no
interest in the matter," said Meloni addressing suggestions that
the economy ministry, which owns AGI through its control of Eni,
is currently run by a party colleague of Angelucci's, Giancarlo
Giorgetti, a League bigwig.
"The investor companies must do their part in the national
interest. I don't deal with it, it's not my business and it
shouldn't be my business. If anything, I wonder whether it is
normal for an investor company to have an agency, this could be
a restriction on freedom of the press".
Giorgetti too has said it is an "anomaly" for the government to
have a press agency, even indirectly.
Angelucci, 79, already owns conservative dailies Il Tempo, Il
Giornale (ex-Berlusconi) and Libero and his bid for AGI has been
criticised on competition, freedom of information and conflict
of interest grounds.
AGI journalists have been striking against the proposed deal and
the Italian journalists union FNSI has also voiced these
concerns.
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