ITALY LEGISLATOR ARRESTED

(The International Herald Tribune, 29 august 1995)

Rome- The arrest of an Italian politician, Marco Pannella, for deliberately breaking Italy's drug laws divided his centre-right allies led by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Monday.

The maverick parliamentarian was arrested with five supporters in the Porta Portese street market in Rome after he produced a bag of hashish at a protest meeting to call for the legalisation of "soft" drugs.

the police arrested him on charges of possessing illegal substances with the intent of distributing them. A prosecutor ordered him to remain under house arrest and then later told him he was free pending a judge's ruling on the case.