Italy's Tourism Minister on Trial for False Accounting Charges

MILAN (Reuters) - An Italian judge has ordered Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche to stand trial on false accounting charges at a publishing group she used to own, judicial and legal sources said on Friday.

Judge Anna Magelli, at the end of a closed-door hearing, scheduled the start of the trial for the minister and 15 other co-defendants for March 20 in a Milan court.

Santanche has denied any wrongdoing.

The case could embarrass Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has so far defended the embattled minister and party colleague against opposition calls for her resignation.

Santanche, 63, is one of the most visible members of Meloni's right-wing cabinet and is known for her brash, outspoken style.

Milan prosecutors accused Santanche and her co-defendants of falsifying financial statements at the Visibilia publishing and advertising group during the period 2016-2022.

Visibilia Editore, Visibilia Editrice and one of the initially 16 other defendants have agreed a settlement.

"It is a decision that we expected but that leaves a bitter taste in our mouths", Santanche's lawyer Nicolo Pelanda said, adding that he was confident the court would establish his client's innocence.

The Visibilia group press office was not immediately reachable for a comment.

Milan prosecutors had requested a first trial against the minister last May over alleged benefit fraud at Visibilia during the COVID pandemic.

However, the minister's lawyer objected that the territorial jurisdiction of that case should be in Rome. Italy's top court will decide on Jan. 29 whether those separate proceedings will continue in Milan or will have to start again in Rome.

Santanche has also denied wrongdoing in the alleged benefit fraud case.

She served as chair and CEO of Visibilia until November 2021 and remained a major shareholder until 2022 when she joined the government and sold her stake in the company.

(Reporting by Emilio Parodi; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Gareth Jones)