The Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation against the ex-premier Giuseppe Conte.

Documents related to the consulting assistance of the former head of the Italian government to a number of large companies were confiscated, the Roman newspaper Domani reported.

The Italian prosecutor's office gave the sanction for the seizure of documents as part of an investigation into corruption and fraud. A few weeks ago, in secrecy, the Italian Financial Guard seized invoices worth 300,000-400,000 euros, which were issued as payment for Conte's consulting services.

During the investigation, it turned out that the companies to which Conte provided services belonged to the well-known Italian businessman Francesco Bellavista Caltagirone. The prosecutor's office opened a case against the entrepreneur after the testimony of the lawyer Piero Amara, at the moment he is in prison on charges of construction fraud.

Law enforcers believe that Caltagirone's companies are connected with the criminal schemes of the arrested Amara. As part of the investigation, the prosecutor's office also seized documents from three more lawyers who assisted the entrepreneur.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on January 26 amid the political crisis in the country. Conte announced his decision to step down during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 26 January.