Politics
Italy: Governor admits cocaine use in sex scandal
Rome, 3 Nov. (AKI) - The Italian politician who recently resigned over his alleged encounters with a transsexual prostitutes, has admitted using cocaine during these encounters in the capital,Rome. The governor of the Lazio region, Piero Marrazzo, made the admission during a hearing being conducted by public prosecutors.
"The high amount of cash (5,000 euros) that I had with me on the morning of 3 July is because during my encounters, we expected to use cocaine. Cocaine, that was there for me to use," said Marrazzo in remarks during a hearing on 21 October and made public on Tuesday.
Marrazzo stood down from his post in late October after a video emerged that apparently showed him with a transsexual prostitute.
The video was allegedly shot by four policemen arrested for trying to blackmail Marrazzo for a total of 80,000 euros in exchange for keeping the video secret.
However, during the hearing, Marrazzo said he was not the victim of extortion, but instead of a robbery.
"I was not the victim of extortion and I always carried out my role as governor of the Lazio region and looked after the interests of the citizens. I always considered what happened to me on 3 July a robbery."
Marrazzo previously said he had paid 5,000 euros to the transsexual prostitute, whom he in met in a Rome apartment in early August.
But according to media reports, the fee Marrazzo allegedly paid is far above the average price of 200 euros for that type of sexual encounter.
During the hearing Marazzo said he paid the transsexual prostitute 1,000 euros for their encounter, and the rest of the money was used for cocaine consumption.
Marrazzo, who is married with three children, has admitted to "a weakness in my private life" and said he made "a terrible, terrible mistake" in failing to report his blackmailers to police.
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi reportedly warned the centre-left governor of the existence of the sex video allegedly featuring him with transsexuals and assured him it would not be made public in any of his family-controlled publications.
"The high amount of cash (5,000 euros) that I had with me on the morning of 3 July is because during my encounters, we expected to use cocaine. Cocaine, that was there for me to use," said Marrazzo in remarks during a hearing on 21 October and made public on Tuesday.
Marrazzo stood down from his post in late October after a video emerged that apparently showed him with a transsexual prostitute.
The video was allegedly shot by four policemen arrested for trying to blackmail Marrazzo for a total of 80,000 euros in exchange for keeping the video secret.
However, during the hearing, Marrazzo said he was not the victim of extortion, but instead of a robbery.
"I was not the victim of extortion and I always carried out my role as governor of the Lazio region and looked after the interests of the citizens. I always considered what happened to me on 3 July a robbery."
Marrazzo previously said he had paid 5,000 euros to the transsexual prostitute, whom he in met in a Rome apartment in early August.
But according to media reports, the fee Marrazzo allegedly paid is far above the average price of 200 euros for that type of sexual encounter.
During the hearing Marazzo said he paid the transsexual prostitute 1,000 euros for their encounter, and the rest of the money was used for cocaine consumption.
Marrazzo, who is married with three children, has admitted to "a weakness in my private life" and said he made "a terrible, terrible mistake" in failing to report his blackmailers to police.
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi reportedly warned the centre-left governor of the existence of the sex video allegedly featuring him with transsexuals and assured him it would not be made public in any of his family-controlled publications.
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