Former Puglia Governor Nichi Vendola was among 44 people sent to trial Thursday on charges of environmental disaster at Taranto's Ilva steel works.
Vendola is accused of aggravated abuse of office, judicial sources said. He allegedly leant on the head of the regional environmental protection agency Arpa, Giorgio Assennato, to tone down reports on the toxic effects of emissions from Ilva. Assennato has also been indicted, for alleged aiding and abetting. Vendola, leader of the small, leftwing Left, Ecology and Freedom (SEL) party, has frequently denounced polluting conditions at the works but has also underscored its importance as the city's largest employer.
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