By John Phillips
ROME
The head of a neo-fascist terrorist gang allegedly plotting to attack Italy's top government figures will be interrogated by magistrates on Wednesday to try and determine the extent of the apparent conspiracy to destabilize Italian democracy, judicial sources said Tuesday.
Stefano Manni, a former Carabinieri paramilitary police officer, and his girlfriend marina Pellati were among 11 ultra-right militants arrested Tuesday in a crackdown on a gang callling itself Avantguardview Order. In all, 14 arrest warrants have been issued for suspects accused of trying to reconstitute the banned New Order gang of right-wing extremists active in Italy in the 1970s and 1980s. Three suspects were placed under house arrest.
Manni and Pellati will be quizzed by an investigating judge in the Adriatic port city of Pescara. Most of the suspects were based in the Abruzzo region of Italy and had been under surveillance as they sought to stockpile AK-47 assault rifles and explosives from Slovenia.
Judicial sources said the group allegedly plotted to carry out attacks on top public officials. Targets allegedly included President Giorgio Napolitano, Premier Matteo Renzi, House Speaker Laura Boldrini, ex-premiers Mario Monti and Enrico Letta and former integration minister Cecile Kyenge, court documents said.
The suspects allegedly belonged to an illegal group that was allegedly plotting "violent actions against institutional targets," according to the warrants issued by magistrates in the central city of L'Aquila.
The suspects also wanted to create a new political party after carrying out terrorist attacks to destabilize the political system, case documents said.
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