For all of you who missed, got confused over, or just didn’t want to read the daily revelations, here is our guide to this sad affair:
Who is Piero Marrazzo?
Piero Marrazzo is a 51-year-old journalist and politician. His father, Giuseppe Marrazzo, was also a journalist and investigated the Mafia.
Piero Marrazzo was politically active in his youth, leaning towards the centre-left. He gained a degree in jurisprudence and became a television journalist. In this role he was best known as the anchorman for Mi manda Raitre, a programme championing citizen and consumer rights. In 2005 Marrazzo became Governor of the Lazio region. He is married with three daughters.
What happened?
In July 2009 Marrazzo was allegedly filmed with a transsexual prostitute in a Rome apartment. The film also shows a line of cocaine on a table. The film was allegedly obtained by four Carabinieri officers who tried to sell it to several magazines and newspapers. No editor would touch it and the editor of “Chi” magazine – which in 2006 famously published pictures of the dying Diana, Princess of Wales - alerted Marina Berlusconi, Chairperson of its publisher Mondadori. She is said to have contacted her father, who warned Marrazzo.
The Carabinieri officers allegedly blackmailed Mr Marrazzo, who at first claimed that the mobile phone footage was faked and that he was the victim of a smear campaign. However, the four Carabinieri were arrested and are reported to have extorted £74,000 from Mr Marrazzo, who stated that he did not pay them any money. Mr Marrazzo admitted to sporadic cocaine use and to other encounters with transsexual prostitutes.
Then rumours surfaced about the existence of another, more damaging video. Faced with this, Mr Marrazzo resigned from his post on 24th October - the eve of an important primary for his party. He cited poor health as one of the reasons for his resignation and added:
“I have always worked for the good of the community and hope that I will be recognised for it regardless of my personal errors.”
What happens now?
Two of the four Carabinieri remain in jail.
Rome Prosecutors are investigating whether Mr Marrazzo used public money to pay for the alleged encounters with prostitutes or for payments to the police officers.
Commentators agree that Mr Marrazzo is “politically finished” but the magazine “Oggi” reports that he may well return to television journalism in 2010.
Yesterday Mr Marrazzo’s wife announced that she is making a complaint under Italy’s Privacy Law regarding media invasion of the privacy of her three daughters, Mr Marrazzo’s first wife and herself.
