The disgraced former leader of
the anti-immigrant Northern League, Umberto Bossi, was indicted
Thursday for insulting President Giorgio Napolitano.
A prosecutor said the offence was aggravated by a "racial"
slur because the often foul-mouthed veteran firebrand called the
Naples-born Neapolitano a "terrone", northern Italian epithet
for "dirty southerner".
On December 29, 2011, Bossi made a rally laugh when he sent
a sarcastic greeting to the Neapolitan head of State, using the
Latin tag "nomen omen" ("it's all in the name") to criticise his
provenance from the troubled southern city.
"I didn't know he was a 'terrone'," he added to further
chuckles.
Bossi, who stepped down as leader of the movement he
founded after a string of corruption and nepotism scandals two
years ago, is also charged with trying to bring Italy's
institutions into disrepute.
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