Mani pulite Avoidance Measures?

This is a copy of an actual press release:

Closing in Italy of the Office of the Anti-Corruption Commissioner

Drago Kos, President of GRECO, expresses great concern

Strasbourg, 08.07.2008 – In a letter addressed to the Italian High Commissioner against Corruption, the President of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) expressed his great concern at the decision of Italy’s government, taken by law decree, to abolish this institution.

The closing of the Office of the High Commissioner against Corruption, created on 24 October 2004, will take effect on 25 August 2008.

At GRECO’s October Plenary Meeting the Italian delegation to GRECO will be called upon to provide more information on the reasons for this decision and its likely consequences for the fight against corruption in Italy. Italy became GRECO’s 45th member on 30 June 2007.

According to its work programme GRECO will carry out its first on-site evaluation visit to Italy in October 2008.
Council of Europe Press Division
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Odd that this should be happening in this precise moment in Italy, is it not? Here is the original press release, just in case you cannot believe this.