Ottaviano Del Turco

Ottaviano Del Turco ( born November 7, 1944 in Collelongo, Abruzzo ) is an Italian politician.

Biography

Del Turco began his public career as a union organizer and later took leading positions within the Partito Socialista Italiano ( PSI) under the Secretary-General Bettino Craxi true until the PSI lost its influence in the wake of a bribery scandal in the years 1992 to 1994. However, he remained as representative of the center-left parties, a member of the Camera dei deputati ( Chamber of Deputies ) and was there from 1996 to 2000 Chairman of the Anti -Mafia Committee.

In April 2000, Prime Minister Giuliano Amato called him as finance minister in his cabinet. This office he held until the end of Amato's tenure in June 2001. In this capacity he took public in 2000 by Luciano Pavarotti, has been accused, since 1996 for tax evasion, a check for 25 billion lire ( 12.5 million euros ) to pay off his tax debts.

In the European elections in 2004, he was elected as representative of the Socialisti Democratici Italiani for Members of the European Parliament.

However, in April 2005, he gave up his seat after he was previously elected President of the Abruzzo region. After allegations of corruption in the public health sector in the region, he was arrested on 14 June 2008 as he was suspected of accepting bribes totaling around 6 million euros. Three days after his arrest, he resigned as Regional President of Abruzzo on July 17, 2008.