Giorgio Orsoni, 63, former mayor of VeniceThe mayor of Venice, italy resigned under pressure Saturday, a day after being freed from house arrest under a plea deal linked to a bribery scandal involving the building of underwater barriers to protect the city from flooding.
Italy’s financial police arrested the former mayor, Giorgio Orsoni, last Wednesday for alleged corruption, extortion and money laundering.
Orsoni and at least 30 others are at the center of a three-year long corruption investigation of the “Moses project,” the plan to create the underwater anti-flood barriers in the city. The first of the long-delayed barriers was installed last year.
More than $27 million targeted for the project was allegedly diverted abroad to create a political slush fund.
Orsini has been mayor of Venice since 2010.
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Julie DiMauro is the executive editor of FCPA Blog and can be reached here.
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