The former Telecom Italia chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera denied that the telco was involved in any way in a massive case of illegal wiretapping and illicit data gathering probe involving an official at Italy's largest telephone company, according to an Associated Press report.
"Telecom Italia does not conduct wiretaps. In 344 pages of (official documents), there is not one line that speaks of wiretaps by Telecom Italia," he was quoted as saying.
Tronchetti Provera said documents supporting investigators' case made clear that Telecom and Pirelli, which was the major shareholder in Telecom Italia through a holding company, were "the wounded parties."
Among those accused in the probe was former Telecom Italia chief of security Giuliano Tavaroli, who allegedly headed the ring. Tronchetti Provera said he believed Tavaroli left the company in March, contradicting media reports that he continued to work at Telecom Italia until some time in September, according to the report.
Earlier, Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who had ordered administrative checks to ascertain how wiretapping was carried out at Telecom Italia, said during the taping of a television talk show that he believed his home phone and cellular phone were tapped, the report further said.