La Stampa. Libero deputy director, Renato Farina: "I confess, I gave a hand to Sismi." But it wasn't quite philanthropy. As Repubblica has reported, in Milan prosecutors' hands are the receipts for the payments from Sismi Farina -- a.k.a. "Fonte Betulla" (birch tree) -- accepted for his covert hand to Italy's military intelligence organization in its efforts to keep tabs on the Milan prosecutor's investigation into the Abu Omar rendition.

What does this mean about Farina's other journalism work? How extensive or longstanding was his arrangement with Sismi? And what was Sismi under Pollari so eager to protect that it needed to employ such tactics, which are illegal in Italy? Was it only Sismi's apparent participation in the Abu Omar rendition? Or other matters?

Here's the top of Farina's open letter on the front page of his paper Libero. More here and here. If I understand half of them, the transcripts in the latter piece seem pretty damning to Sismi director Nicolo Pollari, in terms of documentary evidence of his (Pollari's) being directly involved in the alleged cover up/obstruction of justice, including in the use of Libero's Farina as a paid spy on Milan prosecutor Spataro.

Update: A third Sismi official arrested. A friend in Rome sends 'breaking news':

Mancini’s right hand man, Giuseppe Ciorra, was put under investigation, suspected of having arranged reservations for some of the hit squad. [...]

The Italian government through the Minister of Interior has declared that the State Secrecy Act will not be invoked.

The Minister of Justice, Clemente Mastella, declared that he will not sign any requests for extradition to American authorities. ...

Posted by Laura at July 8, 2006 03:11 PM