Rome - A former intelligence chief, Admiral Fulvio Martini, yesterday repeated claims that Italy had orchestrated a so-called "constitutional coup" in Tunisia in November 1987, writes Paddy Agnew.
In an interview with yesterday's Rome daily, La Repubblica, Admiral Martini repeated claims that Italy's military secret services, SISMI, had been involved in a non-violent plot to oust the then president, Mr Habib Bourghiba. Working closely with Algerian and Libyan agents, SISMI arranged for Mr Bourghiba to be ruled too ill to remain in office - a constitutionally viable move - thus allowing the current president, Mr Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, to succeed him.
The retired Admiral claimed that Italy's involvement in the coup had been instigated by the then Italian prime minister, Mr Bettino Craxi, and then foreign minister, Mr Giulio Andreotti.