Maurizio Lupi has resigned as Italy’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister in the wake of the biggest corruption scandal of its kind since the early ’90s.<br /><br /> The inquiry centres around allegations more than 25 billion euros’ worth of tenders for major public works were rigged.<br /><br /> Judges claim the alleged systematic and organised corruption saw the suspects skim off around one percent of the value of contracts for several huge transport and infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail links and new metro lines in Rome and Milan.<br /><br /> While Lupi is not under investigation, he has close ties with the suspects, one of whom he describes as a ‘family friend.’ In his resignation speech, Lupi referred to the links, claiming he was stepping down to protect his wife and children.<br /><br /> “When I became a government minister, I did not resign as a father or a husband, and I do not intend to do so today,” he announced. “For me, the family comes first, even ahead of a prestigious professional role.”
