Appointing his lover as a ministry advisor stirs up the country

The relationship between 62-year-old married Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano and 41-year-old influencer Maria Rosaria Boccia was revealed through Boccia's social media posts.

On August 26, Boccia shared a photo of herself with the Minister on Instagram with the message, "I thank Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano for appointing me as Advisor to the Minister for Major Events."

When this appointment drew the attention of the press, the Ministry issued a denial.

NEW REVELATIONS MADE

After Sangiuliano's team stated that no such appointment had been made, Boccia began making new revelations.

Boccia's posts and documents leaked to the press showed that the influencer had been attending official events with the Minister in recent months.

These posts raised suspicions that Boccia also had access to sensitive security information regarding events such as the G7 meetings held under Italy's presidency.

As the scandal grew, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a personal statement to try to address security concerns.

Connecting to a program on the Rete 4 channel on Monday evening, Meloni stated that Boccia did not have access to classified documents related to the G7. Meloni also argued that no public funds were spent on the influencer.

Following this, Boccia again made posts on Instagram showing that she had access to classified information regarding the G7 Culture Ministers' meeting.

Boccia also declared that she did not cover the expenses for the official events she attended herself.

MINISTER SANGIULIANO SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Minister Sangiuliano, who had remained silent for days despite the allegations and revelations continuing almost every day, finally spoke for the first time on a television program last night.

Speaking to the public broadcaster Rai, Sangiuliano tearfully admitted that he had a "personal, emotional relationship" with Boccia.

Admitting that Boccia accompanied him on trips, the Minister argued that he covered the costs of these trips out of his own pocket, not from the ministry budget.

Minister Sangiuliano also said that he offered his lover a position at the ministry but withdrew the offer after his aides opposed it.

MELONI DID NOT ACCEPT HIS RESIGNATION

The Minister apologized to his wife, Prime Minister Meloni, and his colleagues. He said he had submitted his resignation to Meloni, but the Prime Minister did not accept it.

However, this time he faced criticism from the opposition for using the public broadcaster Rai for his personal affairs.

The Minister of Culture, who has previously been the subject of negative news many times due to his gaffes, was in the headlines again today because of this scandal.

The newspaper La Repubblica covered the story with the headline "Blackmail in the bedroom" and wrote that Boccia possesses recordings that could shake the government.

News Source: 12punto