Italy's police search regional offices, firms in League fraud probe

Italy's finance police searched on Tuesday offices of the Lombardy regional government and several companies with ties to the League party as part of a money-laundering probe, a source with knowledge of the matter said. The investigation by prosecutors in the northern port city of Genoa is tied to a ruling in which the far-right League, led by Matteo Salvini, was ordered to repay some 49 million euros ($54 million) it owed the state.

The courts have already recovered 4 million euros, but many League bank accounts were discovered to be empty and magistrates are investigating whether some funds may have been shifted abroad illegally to avoid detection. The Lombardy regional government, which is run by the League, was not immediately available for comment. ($1 = 0.9073 euros)