Mayor of Venice arrested in corruption probe

The mayor of Venice and more than 30 other people have been arrested in a sweeping corruption investigation related to the construction of underwater barriers to protect the historic city from flooding.

It is the latest in a series of Italian bribery investigations involving high-profile public works projects.

Italian financial police confirmed that Mayor Giorgio Orsoni had been arrested. The ANSA news agency said he was being investigated for alleged corruption, extortion and money laundering.

The arrests were the result of a three-year investigation that led to the arrest last summer of the head of the consortium building the ambitious, but long-delayed, system of so-called Moses barriers. Authorities say €20 million was diverted abroad to bribe politicians.

The first of the underwater barriers was installed last year.