PALERMO, Sicily, March 29 (UPI) -- A Sicilian judge has rejected a request to dismiss Mafia charges against Sicily Gov. Raffaele Lombardo Thursday, officials say.
Lombardo and his brother were arrested in 2010 for allegedly swapping votes for favors with Vincenzo Aiello, a member of the Catania-based Santapaola crime family.
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ANSA reported Lombardo denies the charges and threatened to sue anyone who alleged he had connections with Aiello.
"I don't know Aiello; I don't even know who he is," Lombardo said when the investigation began. "It's an accusation that is out of this world."