Police held for blackmail in Italian political sex row

Four policemen have been arrested for allegedly blackmailing the Governor of Lazio in the latest political sex scandal to rock Italy.

A video reportedly showing Piero Marrazzo in an encounter with a transsexual is at the centre of the case. It is claimed the officers in possession of the alleged tape kept it under wraps in exchange for tens of thousands of euros from the politician. He denies everything, saying he is the victim of a smear campaign ahead of regional elections. “When such an act of unpredecented gravity happens, it shows that in our country, political fighting has reached a level of savagery that is intolerable,” Marrazzo told reporters. Before entering politics, Marrazzo from the opposition centre-left, was a leading journalist with Italian state TV. Sex scandals involving Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have already left Italy reeling.More about: Italy

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