Italy’s Prime Minister Romano Prodi has reacted cautiously to revelations illegal checks were made on his tax records. He said he would wait for the results of an investigation: “I have no comment to make. The gravity of the situation has been made clear enough by the facts. The magistrates will get to the bottom of this.” One Prodi supporter has suggested that the tax spying on Prodi and his wife Flavia could be the responsibility, at least through negligence, of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi told reporters that there was no sinister political agenda at work, as many others in the public eye, including himself, were victims of the checks. He added that anyone with a computer could have got their hands on tax records. Investigators have revealed that show business and sports stars were also illegally checked over the last two years, as well as businessmen and politicians from different parties. The Italian press has suggested motives including blackmail, voyeurism, corruption and the work of secret hidden powers.

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