Italy’s famed La Scala opera house has voted to reject a deal in which Saudi Arabia would have donated €15 million (£12.8 million) over five years in return for obtaining a place on the board for its culture minister.

Critics had argued that one of the country’s most venerable cultural institutions should not take cash from a repressive regime responsible for human rights abuses and which is accused of the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last year.

The board of La Scala voted on Monday to return €3.1 million – the first tranche of the money that was to be provided by Riyadh.

The funds had been placed in an escrow account but would now be returned, said Giuseppe Sala, the centre-Left mayor of Milan, who chairs the board of La Scala.

"We have unanimously decided to return the money," said Mr Sala. "Right now, going down this road is not possible.