Italy's anti-Mafia chief accuses politicians

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's new national anti-Mafia prosecutor caused a storm on Friday by saying Bernardo Provenzano, the top Mafia chief who has been a fugitive for four decades, had been protected by politicians and policemen.

"People from various professions -- politicians, businessmen and police -- have helped Provenzano remain a fugitive," Pietro Grasso told state television Rai in an interview to be broadcast late on Friday night.

"It was not only a crime organization that provided cover for him," he said, according to advance excerpts.

Until his appointment earlier this month, Grasso was for years the chief anti-Mafia investigator in the Sicilian capital Palermo, and often expressed frustration over the failure to capture Provenzano.