Italy court probes PM Renzi's expense claims when Florence mayor

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi speaks before attendees during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, September 29, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - A court in Florence has opened an investigation into the expenses claims filed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi when he was mayor of the city between 2009 and 2014, a judicial source said on Tuesday.

The accounting court, which has responsibility for ensuring a correct use of public funds, acted following press reports that Renzi had regularly claimed reimbursement for restaurant meals taken with family and friends.