Former Italian minister arrested

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A former Italian finance minister and several senior officials have been arrested on suspicion of corruption.

Prosecutors said the former minister, Ottaviano del Turco, who is now governor of the central Abruzzo region, and 34 others were being investigated.

They are accused of involvement in a 12.8m euro (Â£10.2m) fraud in the financing of the public health system.

There was no immediate comment from Mr Del Turco, who was finance minister from 2000 to 2001.

He served in Giuliano Amato's centre-left government.

He also chaired the parliamentary anti-Mafia commission in the late 1990s.

Mr Del Turco has not been charged with a crime, but is suspected of corruption and criminal association, prosecutors said.

He was among 10 people arrested or placed under house arrest on Monday.

The others were reported to be lower-ranking regional health and financial officials.