Italy's health minister reported to be under investigation

The Italian health minister, Professor Girolamo Sirchia, is at the centre of a media storm in Italy, after several journalists reported that he was under preliminary investigation for suspected corruption by the Office of the Prosecutors in Milan.

According to details leaked to the press, several heads of hospital units are said to have been paid by the Italian branch of the US company Immucor, producer of reagents and automated systems for blood testing, allegedly for helping the company to obtain contracts with their respective hospitals.

However, in a statement issued to the BMJ, the company said any payments were for scientific and medical research services, not …