Police seize Mafia assets

Italian police said yesterday they had seized assets worth an estimated pounds 40m from the Mafia's boss of bosses, Salvatore 'Toto' Ri ina, his relatives and his suspected chief lieutenant, Reuter reports from Palermo.

Aldo Gianni, the police chief in Sicily's capital, said the seizures followed months of inquiries into the affairs of Riina's Corleonesi clan, and the amount could be the tip of an iceberg.

Milan magistrates meanwhile issued an arrest warrant for one of Italy's richest businessmen, Salvatore Ligresti, on suspicion of corruption, legal sources said.