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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Mayor of Venice resigns after corruption inquiry | Mayor of Venice resigns after corruption inquiry |
| (3 days later) | |
| The mayor of the Italian city of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, has resigned amid a wider investigation into alleged corruption over new flood barriers. | The mayor of the Italian city of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni, has resigned amid a wider investigation into alleged corruption over new flood barriers. |
| He and 34 other officials were arrested last week on suspicion of embezzling around 20m euros ($27m, £16m) in public funds earmarked for flood defences. | He and 34 other officials were arrested last week on suspicion of embezzling around 20m euros ($27m, £16m) in public funds earmarked for flood defences. |
| Mr Orsoni stepped down a day after being released from house arrest under a plea bargain. | Mr Orsoni stepped down a day after being released from house arrest under a plea bargain. |
| He agreed to a four-month sentence but is unlikely to go to prison. | He agreed to a four-month sentence but is unlikely to go to prison. |
| The sentence still requires court approval. | The sentence still requires court approval. |
| Mr Orsoni had returned to his post on Thursday after a temporary suspension but it appears he lost the support of his political allies, the ruling centre-left Democratic Party, correspondents say. | Mr Orsoni had returned to his post on Thursday after a temporary suspension but it appears he lost the support of his political allies, the ruling centre-left Democratic Party, correspondents say. |
| He had told a prosecutor he was innocent in the case. Speaking to reporters after his release from house arrest, he said he had always run Venice "in the best way possible". | He had told a prosecutor he was innocent in the case. Speaking to reporters after his release from house arrest, he said he had always run Venice "in the best way possible". |
| "I made a lot of enemies... and this is the price I am paying," he added. | "I made a lot of enemies... and this is the price I am paying," he added. |
| Delayed project | Delayed project |
| The bribery allegations centre around the public tender process for the Moses project, as the works are known in English, after their Italian acronym (Mose). | The bribery allegations centre around the public tender process for the Moses project, as the works are known in English, after their Italian acronym (Mose). |
| Seventy-eight mobile barriers will be used to shut off Venice lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and storms. | Seventy-eight mobile barriers will be used to shut off Venice lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and storms. |
| Construction began 11 years ago but has been hampered by delays in funding due to the economic crisis. | Construction began 11 years ago but has been hampered by delays in funding due to the economic crisis. |
| The city, one of the world's great tourist destinations, is continuing to sink and is hit by flooding on a yearly basis. | The city, one of the world's great tourist destinations, is continuing to sink and is hit by flooding on a yearly basis. |