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Former Italian minister Tremonti denies bribery allegations

Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti attends a news conference with Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (not pictured) at the end of the G20 Summit in Cannes November 4, 2011. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

MILAN (Reuters) - Milan prosecutors are investigating former Italian Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti over allegations he took a 2.4 million-euro (1.8 million pounds) bribe to ease the way for an acquisition by aerospace and defence group Finmeccanica in 2008. Justice system officials said investigators believed the state-controlled company paid the bribes as consulting fees while Tremonti was a minister so that he would drop his opposition to the $5.2 billion takeover of U.S. defence contractor DRS Technologies. Tremonti, who served in the last centre-right government Silvio Berlusconi, issued a statement rejecting the allegations. Noting that he had taken office on May 8, 2008, only four days before the DRS acquisition was formally sealed, he said he would not have been able to influence a deal which had been in the works for months. "Just following the timetable, it can be seen that, given its irreversible momentum and its international character, the operation could not be influenced, changed or put to use by me," he said in a statement. "In these terms, I have never asked for or solicited anything from Finmeccanica in any way." Finmeccanica declined to comment on the case. News of the investigation comes as Finmeccanica is reviewing its business strategy under new Chief Executive Mauro Moretti. The new CEO has said the group does not rule out any option for DRS, following speculation it could be sold. (Reporting by Emilio Parodi; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Larry King)