Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala is
suspected of aiding and abetting abuse of office in relation to
an investigation into the 'Piastra dei Servizi' contract for
Expo 2015, judicial sources said Wednesday.
Sala said last week that he has told his lawyers to request
an immediate trial in a case regarding the major contract for
the world's fair two years ago.
Having an immediate trial would mean skipping the phase of a
preliminary hearing, scheduled for December 14.
Sala, who was the commissioner of the World Fair, is also
accused of giving false declarations in relation to an
investigation into the 'Piastra dei Servizi' contract.
Previously Sala was accused of auction rigging in the case.
That charge has now been shelved, and replaced by the abuse
of office charge.
Sala is suspected of irregularities in a contract for trees
from the firm of Mantovani SpA, which later sub-contracted the
work out to another firm.
The contract was allegedly inflated to 4.3 million euros,
when its real value should have been no more than 1.6 million,
judicial sources said.
Sala's lawyers on Wednesday night accused prosecutors of "a
persecutory initiative" against Milan's first citizen.
They pointed out that the abuse of office charge had "not
even been considered before now".
They reiterated that Sala was innocent of all charges.
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