Expo. Hall sentenced to six months, converted into a monetary penalty. The former ad: "I will remain mayor"

• "Piastra Expo", asked for 13 months for the mayor of Milano Sala
• Expo, Pm Corte dei Conti files Sala on supplying trees
• Investigation Expo, filed accusation of disturbance of auction for former commissioner and now mayor Giuseppe Sala

Share

The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, formerly of Expo, was sentenced to half a month in prison, converted into a fine of 45,000 euros, in the Milan trial in which he was charged with false material and ideology for the alleged backdating of two minutes with which, in May 2012, two members of the tender committee were replaced for the award of the maxi contract for the 2015 Universal Exposition service plate. The sentence was issued by the judges of the tenth penal section.

"This ruling will not affect my ability to be mayor of Milan". This is the first comment by the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, after being sentenced to six months in the Expo process. "I assure the Milanese - he added - that I will remain the mayor for the two years remaining of my mandate. Looking forward now I do not feel it".

"Such a sentence, after seven years, for a formal defect, will drive away so many good people from dealing with public affairs". So Sala after the sentence. "The feelings I have are negative - he added - the work was tried here and I did a lot".

Hall convicted of charges, others acquitted
Sala's condemnation concerns, as was understood by the sentence read by the judges Guidi-Minerva-Valori, only for a part of the accusation of forgery that had been contested. In particular, the first citizen was convicted, as emerges from the device, "limited to the backdating of the record of annulment of nomination of the jury and of the minutes of appointment of the jury".

Instead, all the other defendants in the process were acquitted: the former manager Expo Angelo Paris, who was charged with forgery in competition with Sala but also for attempted abuse of office, the former general manager of Ilspa Antonio Rognoni, accused of disruption of the large contract, and Piergiorgio Baita, former president of Mantovani spache won the tender, accused of attempted abuse of office. The appeal of the defense of Sala against the conviction for forgery has been discounted (accusation that will go in prescription in the next autumn).

Sala's defense: recognized that he acted for the community
The Court of Milan "even in the married accusatory perspective, could not fail to recognize that Sala's conduct was inspired by reasons of marked ethical and social value that deserve particular appreciation". This was explained by the lawyer of the Milan citizen, the lawyer Salvatore Scuto. Reasons, added the lawyer, "that the jurisprudence identifies as existing only in the cases in which they are shared by the general ethical conscience and object of unconditional approval by the society". The extenuating circumstance of the reasons of particular moral or social value, recognized per Sala, "rarely applied - he explained - therefore constitutes the recognition of the fact that Beppe Sala acted in the exclusive interest of the community, which connotes the story in its most authentic dimension". The sentence pronounced today, however, continued the defender, "is an unjust sentence for having held the criminal responsibility, exclusively for the backdating of the reports of cancellation and appointment of the commissioners of the tender of the so-called Piastra, against Beppe Sala "And yet there is no evidence of his awareness and even less of the fact that Sala has ever wanted and decided that backdating, which is harmless because it did not alter the probative value of the acts." It is also surprising, according to the lawyer, "how the court considered, in view of the complex structure of the Expo structure, the 'solitary' responsibility of Beppe Sala".

Zingaretti: trust in Sala, drive Milan
"I am very grateful to thank Beppe Sala, I am close to him from a personal, human and even political point of view. He is a great mayor, he is facing a particular affair and I hope he will get out of it as soon as possible. trust, our support to continue in the work of guiding Milan: it is transforming it into one of the most beautiful and best organized cities in Europe ". Thus the secretary of the Democratic Party Nicola Zingaretti expressed his closeness to Giuseppe Sala.

Salvini: I do not rejoice in condemnation, proud for Expo
"I am not used to celebrating the convictions of others. I want to read the records. As a Milanese I am proud of how Expo was managed. If there was a mistake, we will check what kind of error it is, but while on the left they usually celebrate judgments against the guy and against caio, I from Milan don't celebrate if my mayor is condemned ". Thus the Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini, on the sentence to the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, during the Expo investigation.

Pg: ordinary person process would not last long
"This process has become so great because it concerned an important person, otherwise for any person it would have lasted a quarter of an hour, it was a process, from this point of view, disproportionate". This was explained by the substitute pg of Milan Massimo Gaballo, who had requested a sentence of 13 months for the mayor of Milan.