ROME, March 23 (UPI) -- A member of the Italian Parliament under investigation for alleged ties to the Sicilian mob became agriculture minister Wednesday.
In an unusual move, President Giorgio Napolitano acknowledged having misgivings about Francesco Saverio Romano's appointment, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Romano, a former member of the centrist Catholic UDC, was rewarded for joining the governing coalition, helping Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi survive a vote of confidence.
The opening in the government was created when Sandro Bondi resigned as minister of culture following a scandal about collapses in the ruins of Pompeii. Giancarlo Galan was moved from agriculture to culture.
Romano has not been charged with any crimes. Prosecutors in Palermo are investigating allegations he has associates who belong to the Mafia and has used his position in government to help them.
