Irishman still held in Genoa protests probe

An Irishman who was arrested during protests against the G8 summit in Genoa on 22 July is still being held in custody. Joe Moffat is awaiting a forensic examination on a Swiss Army Knife which was found in his possession.

The Irish Embassy in Rome has asked the Italian Foreign Ministry to speed up the case. An embassy representative who has visited Mr Moffat said that he is in good health and is being well treated.

In a separate development, three senior Italian police officers responsible for security during last month's G8 summit in Genoa have been removed from their posts. Hundreds of people were injured and police shot one demonstrator dead was during three days of violent clashes.

Organisers of the protests had accused the police of brutality. The Italian government said that the three, including Italy's second highest-ranking police officer, Ansoino Andreassi, would be assigned to other duties.

The Italian government had given Mr Andreassi overall responsibility for security at the summit, which degenerated into violent street clashes between anti-globalisation protesters and police. Arnaldo la Barbera, the head of Italy's anti-terrorism unit, UCIGOS, and Genoa police chief Francocesco Colucci, will also be relieved of their present duties.

A statement released by the interior ministry last night made the announcement. Internal police reports, which have been leaked to the Italian press, have accused officers of "serious errors" and "gratuitous violence" during a raid on a school that housed the Genoa Social Forum, an umbrella group for protesters. The reports also aimed criticism at some senior officers.