Man held for attempted bomb attack on Italy president

Reggio Calabria (Italy), Sep 21 (IANS/AKI) Italy police Tuesday arrested one person for his involvement in an attempted car bombing during President Giorgio Napolitano’s visit to this southern Italian city in January.

A bomb was found inside a Fiat Marea car parked along the road to the airport shortly before Napolitano’s motorcade was due to drive by the area Jan 21.

Police said that the suspect arrested Tuesday is accused of having links with organised criminal gangs and illegal possession of arms and explosives.

Prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for two other suspects detained earlier in the probe into the attempted car bombing. These two suspects face charges of illegally possessing arms and ammunition and abetting the Calabrian mafia or ‘Ndrangheta’s Ficara-Latella gang, which investigators believe was behind the plot.

Police in late January arrested a 45-year-old man, who allegedly telephoned police to report the stolen car. He is also believed to be linked to the Ficara-Latella gang.

Napolitano’s visit to Reggio Calabria came after a powerful home-made bomb exploded outside a courthouse in the city Jan 3. No one was injured in the courthouse attack, which investigators believe was the work of the ‘Ndrangheta.

Italy’s top anti-mafia prosecutor, Pietro Grasso, described the car bomb found during Napolitano’s visit as a “message of intimidation” from the mafia.

–IANS/AKI