The trial of 24 former
Piedmont regional councillors accused of abusing expense claims
while in office opened in Turin on Tuesday but was immediately
adjourned to allow prosecutors to clarify the position of a
further 10 politicians suspected of similar misconduct.
At the same time the court also decided to combine
proceedings against the former councillors with those against
former Piedmont governor Roberto Cota of the right-wing
regionalist Northern League (LN), who faces trial in connection
with the same alleged offences.
The next hearing has been scheduled for January 26 2015.
Tuesday's adjournment came after a judge ordered
prosecutors to formulate indictment charges against 10 people
implicated in the so-called 'crazy expenses' case involving
Piedmont regional council on Monday.
The suspects included two members of the current Piedmont
regional council executive led by Governor Sergio Chiamparino,
who belongs to Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic
Party (PD).
Prosecutors were given 10 days to formulate the charges,
after which a different judge will decide whether to actually
send the defendants to trial.
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