Boccia Probed for Privacy Breach on Sangiuliano-Wife Audio

Rome: Abusinesswoman whose love affair with former culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano led to the minister’s resignation is under investigation for suspected breach of privacy over an audio file of a private conversation between him and his wife, which the entrepreneur published on her social media and was also published by an online media outlet in Campania, judicial sources said Thursday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the businesswoman, Maria Rosaria Boccia, is currently running in Campania on a small independent rightist ticket against her former lover, who is leading the ticket for Premier Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party. Rome prosecutors are probing Boccia for allegedly illicit interference in private lives, the sources said.

The audio file was also broadcast by Rai investigative programme Report, leading to a 150,000 fine issued by Italy’s privacy watchdog against Report presenter Sigfrido Ranucci, whose car was bombed in a suspected mafia attack last week. Italian opposition figures and anti-government media have alleged that the Fdi-appointed privacy watchdog councillor, Agostino Ghiglia, was pressured by Meloni’s sister Arianna, FdI’s political coordinator, into lobbying for the fine against Ranucci, the largest ever issued by the privacy watchdog.

Opposition MPs and anti-government media have admitted, however, that Ranucci acted improperly in divulging the contents of a private conversation between Sangiuliano and his wife. Rome prosecutors have had the audio file removed from Boccia’s social media as well as from the Campanian media outlet.

Meanwhile, a separate hearing is scheduled for February 9th in another case against Boccia, in which she is accused of stalking, assault, and unlawful interference, among other crimes, following another complaint filed by Sangiuliano.