Paola Muraro steps down amid investigation.

Rome's environment councillor Paola Muraro has stepped down from her position, pending the outcome of an investigation for alleged environmental crimes.

Rome mayor Virginia Raggi accepted the resignation late on 12 December, taking on the environment portfolio herself until Muraro has clarified her position or a new candidate is found.

Muraro, for 12 years a consultant with the capital's waste management company AMA Roma, will be heard by prosecutors on 21 December.

Muraro first came under pressure to resign due to alleged conflict of interest in July. Calls mounted in September after she admitted to being under investigation but she clung onto her post with Raggi’s support on grounds she had never received formal notification of the probe. This notification allegedly arrived on 12 December.

Muraro becomes the latest high-profile resignation for mayor Raggi of the anti-establishment Movimento 5 Stelle, which prides itself on being the ‘clean’ alternative to mainstream Italian political parties.

In September Raggi lost her cabinet chief and budget councillor as well as top managers of transport company ATAC and the head of AMA.