Italian lower chamber authorizes former minister's arrest

Italy's lower chamber on Tuesday authorized the arrest of a former minister under the governments of three-time premier Silvio Berlusconi, Giancarlo Galan, for his alleged involvement into a major corruption probe in water city Venice.

The chamber approved the lifting of parliamentary immunity for Galan, an MP of Berlusconi's center-right party Forza Italia and the former head of Veneto region of which Venice is the capital, with 395 yes votes, 138 no votes and two abstentions.

Galan's defense will present a request for house arrest, one of his lawyers, Antonio Franchini, was quoted as saying by ANSA news agency. Franchini defined Galan as "reactive" after the ruling.

Galan had unsuccessfully requested a postponement of the vote due to complications arising from a plastered leg that confined him in hospital preventing him to claim his innocence in parliament.

The former minister has denied any involvement in the corruption scandal which broke last month related to MOSE, a multi-billion-euro project to block tidal flows in Venice.

Police investigated more than 100 suspects and arrested 35 people including professionals and officials suspected of having built a bribery system.

Galan was reported to have been allegedly rewarded 1 million euros (1.34 million U.S. dollars) per year from 2005 to 2011 for his role in influencing tenders.

A series of graft scandals related to public projects including the upcoming world exposition in Milan have hit the Italian headlines in recent weeks, triggering strong reactions from the society and government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi that called for complete intolerance for corruption.