ROME, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Italian police has arrested 15 people over corruption-related crimes, including a former prosecutor and a retired judge, according to a statement released by the finance guard on Tuesday.
The 15 suspects "made up two criminal associations," said the joint statement by prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Messina and in Rome.
Among the suspects is the former Siracusa prosecutor Giancarlo Longo, who is accused of tampering with court cases in exchange for bribes beginning in 2013 through the first months of 2017, RAI public broadcaster reported.
Longo allegedly received 80,000 euros in cash, free vacations for himself and his family in Dubai, and other similar "rewards" for using his powers to steer investigations in favor of the clients of two lawyers, Pietro Amara and Giuseppe Calafiore, according to TG La7 private broadcaster.
The two lawyers are named among the 15 suspects in the joint prosecution statement released by finance police.
Amara was external legal counsel for national oil and gas giant ENI, whose CEO Claudio Descalzi was a suspect in a bribery case. Longo allegedly created fake files in order to spy on and interfere with the ENI bribery investigation in Milan, according to TG La7.
Also among the arrested is the retired judge Virgilio Riccardo, who presided a section of Italy's highest administrative court, the Council of State. The judge is accused of judicial corruption along with Amara and others, according to the statement.
Local media say a university professor and a former Sicilian regional MP are also among the arrested.
