Italian Prosecutors to Question PM Over Virus Outbreak

Prosecutors in the northern Italian city of Bergamo say they will question members of the government, including Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, over their handling of the coronavirus.

The prosecutors said they would summon Mr Conte and others as “informed persons” – that is without attributing any crime to them.

It comes as a group of 50 relatives of victims in Bergamo – one of the worst-hit parts of the country – filed legal complaints over how the pandemic was handled. They say they and their relatives were abandoned during the crisis. The group, which calls itself Noi denunceremo (we will denounce), says it is seeking justice rather than revenge or compensation.

Prosecutors say they will initially ask officials why they did not immediately isolate the “hot spot” municipalities of Nembro and Alzano Lombardo when northern Italy began locking down in February.

Mr Conte has not publicly commented.