Legislation will enrich Mafia, say critics

Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government is introducing legislation which will result in the auctioning of many seized Mafia assets to the highest bidder. Doubters argue that the proposed law could backfire, allowing fronts for the Mafia to buy back their assets on the cheap.

The controversy has contributed to a fierce debate in Italy on the government's commitment to fighting the Mafia. That debate has been ignited by claims made by Gaspare Spatuzza, a Mafia hitman turned state witness, that Mr Berlusconi had dealings with the Sicilian mob in the early 1990s, when he was about to enter politics.