Gennaro Sangiuliano, the culture minister who is married, met Maria Rosaria Boccia, a former men’s fashion retailer from Pompeii, at a political rally a year ago.
She subsequently attended ministerial meetings, gained access to the Palazzo Montecitorio, home to one of Italy’s two parliamentary houses, and accompanied Sangiuliano, 62, at official events around the country, from Taormina in Sicily to Riva Ligure in Liguria.
Boccia has accused her former lover of misusing public funds to pay for her trips, providing access to confidential information and appointing her as an adviser despite a conflict of interest.
She has supported her assertions with audio recordings of phone calls with ministerial officials, screenshots of emails and flight tickets, and photos of confidential programmes for official events.
Throughout their affair she recorded an unknown number of private conversations, using her phone and a pair of Ray-Ban Stories sunglasses, which have a built-in camera and microphone. Footage taken also shows the corridors of the Palazzo Montecitorio, where it is forbidden to film. more
