Toti questioned for 8 hours by prosecutors. The defense statement: “I have always pursued the common interest”

"In my political career I have always pursued the public interest which is the sole and ultimate aim of my political action", writes the governor of Liguria

ROME – A lengthy interrogation that lasted 8 hours (from 11am to 7pm) in which Giovanni Toti, governor of Liguria under house arrest on charges of corruption and forgery, has answered the 180 questions posed to him by the public prosecutors . And after the silence in front of the investigating judge in the warrant interrogation today Toti responded and also filed a 17-page memorandum with which he wanted to “explain the political and moral lines which, from what I have having assumed the honor of leading the Liguria Region, have always informed the activity pursued by the Regional Council with the sole perspective of serving the good and common interest of the Ligurian citizens and their institutions”, we read in the memory published by Repubblica. Memoir, which, according to what we understand, was leaked on the web while the governor was still signing the report in the Finance barracks.

“In my political career I have always pursued the public interest which is the sole and ultimate aim of my political action– writes Toti- this aim is followed, as constantly claimed by the political program of the majority that supports me, not through opposition to the demands of private individuals, but rather through the conveyance of these towards the interest of the community and the territory, a way in which the best essence of the public interest is achieved”. “I have never exceeded the specific competences of the bodies and offices in charge, I have never interfered in the free choices and decisions of the subjects involved I have never put pressure on any subject, I have never served a particular interest to the detriment of the collective one”. My intervention at a political/functional level has always been strictly limited to the authorization path traced by the offices in charge in each field, limited to asking for attention consistent with the needs of speed of the market, or of carrying out the works requested by the other administrative and Government (Porto, Mayor Bucci’s Commissioner structures) or to solicit, within the administrative and legislative processes, the diligence and attention of the Ligurian Municipalities in implementing the regional strategic plans. In all these cases, every intervention of mine was exclusively aimed at achieving a primary public interestso much so that it was contained in legal provisions or in the strategic plans of the Region, as well as claimed as the realization of the electoral program rewarded by the citizens at the polls As seen, my action has always been limited, when possible and in any case in compliance with the law, to soliciting analyzes and responses from the subjects involved within the scope and within the boundaries already traced by the administrative and authorization processes in be, examined and instructed by the competent offices.

“In the pages I have tried to represent and explain that my will has always been to exclusively serve the public good – Toti reiterates – As clearly emerges from the documents, in my relationship with Aldo Spinelli, I became interested in the issues he raised in a way that was often disconnected from the context and totally alien to the spirit of the conversation, through an intervention always dictated by the spirit of public utility and often even in conflict with the interests of Spinelli himselfbut in favor – in fact – of other operators”.

The memoir continues: “Every donation of money was credited with traceable methods and accounted for. Likewise all expenses incurred (both in support of my political activity as leader of the Toti List present in the Council Regional and in many municipal administrations, both to support Mayors, Lists and candidates connected and consistent with the political line of the Toti List, and with regard to the initiatives of the Government Coalition) have been reported and publicized in terms of the law and beyond strong>The budgets and reports were (and still are) published on the websites of the political organizations in support of meEvery euro collected had a political destination: no contribution produced personal enrichment or utility for me, for others belonging to my party or to private third parties. And precisely to dispel the slightest possible suspicion and guarantee maximum transparency and possibility of control, particular attention was paid to separating every economic aspect of my private life from any economic activity linked to politics, so much so as to separate also personal current accounts and to use exclusively dedicated and “transparent” accounts for political activity, with crediting and spending tools tracked, traceable and always rigorously documented”.