A former commander of the Red Brigades leftist urban guerilla group that murdered Italian statesman Aldo Moro has been arrested for a bank heist committed while he was out of jail for good conduct.
The incident caused an outcry in the Italian political world, with opponents of clemency for former terrorists and relatives of terrorism victims voicing outrage and disbelief.
Cristoforo Piancone, 57, serving life for six murders and two attempted murders, on Monday afternoon robbed the headquarters of top Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) but was caught after a high-speed chase.
He had been awarded a day-release permit in 2004 to work in a cooperative firm despite being caught shoplifting while on a previous permit.
Piancone robbed the MPS bank with an accomplice, the pair forcing staff to hand over 170,000 euros in cash before speeding off on a motorbike.
A bank client called the police who gave chase and caught up with the bike, firing a warning shot. Piancone tried to fire back but didn't realise he hadn't released the safety catch on his revolver, police said.
The former Red Brigades (BR) man was caught in possession of four hand guns and part of the bank haul but his accomplice escaped with the rest.
Police said Piancone had helped his accomplice get away by refusing to identify himself.
They said they were still trying to establish whether the heist was a "mere crime or an act of 'self-financing' for further terrorist activities".
CONTROVERSY OVER EARLY RELEASE OF EX-TERRORISTS.
Piancone has served 25 years for the crimes committed during his time in the BR command which ordered countless murders including that of Christian Democrat leader Moro in 1978 - a period for which he has never expressed remorse, describing it as "a historically terminated affair".
He was granted the day-release permits for "excellent conduct" in jail, police said.
There have been several cases in recent years of ex-BR members being allowed out of prison to work. Not all of them had renounced their pasts.
Moro kidnapper Valerio Morucci was let out in 1994 and forged a successful career as a writer.
A number of other convicted leftist terrorists have returned from exile to claim academic posts.
Last year there was a flap over the terrorist past of an aide to an undersecretary in Romano Prodi's centre-left government.
The cases have sparked outrage among victims' families, amplified by political opponents of clemency and rehabilitation programmes.
On Tuesday a leading member of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party, Isabella Bertolini, urged Justice Minister Clemente Mastella to take action against the judge who granted Piancone's permit.
She accused allegedly left-wing judges of being indulgent with leftist terrorists.
Siena police chief Massimo Bontempi said he was happy no one had been hurt.
"It would have been hard for me to explain to a policeman's family that a released terrorist had killed him," he said.
"We were very lucky".
