(Associated Press via NewsEdge) The former Telecom Italia chairman denied that the telecommunications company was involved in any way in a massive case of illegal wiretapping and illicit data gathering probe involving an official at Italy's largest telephone company.
'Telecom Italia does not conduct wiretaps. In 344 pages of (official documents) there is not one line that speaks of wiretaps by Telecom Italia,' Marco Tronchetti Provera told a news conference.
Tronchetti said documents supporting investigators' case made clear that Telecom and Pirelli, which is the major shareholder in Telecom Italia through a holding company, were 'the wounded parties.'
Among those accused in the probe is former Telecom Italia chief of security Giuliano Tavaroli, who allegedly heads the ring.
Tronchetti Provera told reporters that he believed Tavaroli left the company in March, contradicting media reports that he continued to work at Telecom Italia until sometime in September.
Earlier, Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who has ordered administrative checks to ascertain how wiretapping is carried out at Telecom Italia, said during the taping of a television talk show that he believed his home phone and cellular phone were tapped.
Tronchetti Provera, who is also chairman of Pirelli, ran the telecoms giant until stepping down earlier this month after his plan to split the cellular phone and fixed line businesses created waves with the government.
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