ROME, July 19, 2008 (AFP) - Italian prosecutors have accused two of the country's top firms, Telecommunication Italia and its leading shareholder Pirelli, of corruption in connection with a huge spy scandal, press reports said Saturday.

Some 30 suspects have been targeted by Milan prosecutors following inquiries launched two years ago into an extensive eavesdropping system, according to the ANSA news agency and other media.

They include a former head of security at the two firms, Giuliano Tavaroli, but not former Telecommunication Italia boss Marco Tronchetti Porvera, who has not been proved to have known about the spying, the Corriere della Sera daily said.

The reports said the two firms could be fined up to 1.5 million euros for failing to control what was going on.

Originally set up to spy on employees of Telecommunication Italia, the system expanded to gather data on politicians, business leaders, footballers and show-business personalities by means of telephone tapping and pirating of bank account details.

There was no immediate reaction by either company to the reports Saturday.

According to ANSA, they were informed of the suspicions against them late Friday after the closure of the stock exchange.