Italyâ„¢s minister for sports and equal opportunities has rejected accusations of tax dodging, resisting calls by her own party members to resign.
Josefa Idem from the center-left Democratic Party said on Saturday that any irregularities were oversights and that she would Å“put right what needs to be put right.”
The Italian minister also insisted on not stepping down.
Å“It is my intention to continue in my commitment for the good of the country.”
Idem reportedly avoided paying property taxes on a gym in 2008 to 2011 by declaring it as her primary home in the city of Ravenna, while the rest of her family was registered in a house nearby.
She changed her address just before being elected for the first time to parliament in February.
The case was uncovered after local authorities on June 11 carried out an inspection of her gym.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, a few days after the inspection was conducted, Idem made a payment to tax authorities.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party lawmaker Dario Ginefra pushed for Idem to Å“seriously consider” quitting as minister to save the government Å“from the embarrassment of having to make the choice for her.”
The accusations against Idem came days after Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta vowed to constrain the prevalent occurrence of tax evasion in the country.
CAH/HSN
This article originally appeared on: Press TV