Tronchetti Provera Denies Involvement in Espionage

(Staffordshire, U.K./Tyres & Accessories) Marco Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli chairman and former chairman of Telcom Italia, has issued a strongly worded statement published by Italian Daily La Stampa on Jan. 21 stating that he had never acted illegally in his professional career, nor ordered anyone else to do so.

The statement follow reports that Italian prosecutors are investigating allegations that computers at RCS MediaGroup, in which Pirelli has a minority stake, were hacked.

According to the AFX news agency Milan investigators ordered the arrest of three former Telecom Italia workers on espionage charges on Jan. 25. A fourth suspect is reportedly being held over similar charges stemming from a separate investigation.

The allegations against Telecom Italia are reminiscent of the recent HP scandal in the U.S., which saw the instigation of a congressional hearing and HP chairman Patricia Dunn step down. In this case, Telecom Italia is suspected of using illegal means to spy on business rivals and politicians. Targets of the alleged espionage include Vittorio Colao, the former boss of RCS Mediagroup, which publishes Il Corriere della Sera and Massimo Mucchetti, deputy director of Il Corriere della Sera. The motivation reportedly came from critical articles in the paper about Telecom Italia, and the suspicion these were fed to the paper by business rivals.

Tronchetti quit the chairmanship of Telecom Italia in September 2006.