Renato Soru, the founder and
president of Italian telecommunications group Tiscali, was
sentenced to a three-year jail term by a Cagliari judge for tax
evasion on Thursday.
Prosecutors had requested a four-year term for the MEP, a
member of Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party and Sardinia
governor from 2004 and 2008.
The conviction relates to tax evasion of 2.6 million
euros linked to a loan by Soru's Andalas Ldt to Tiscali.
"I didn't expect this sentence," Soru said.
"I think this sentence is unjust".
When asked if we was considering quitting any of his
positions, he replied: "now I am thinking about many things,
that included".
He added: "I don't think that I have committed any crimes
and I think this sentence will be overturned in the other stages
of the trial process".
In Italy people do not usually have to start serving jail
terms for non-violent crimes until the appeals process has been
exhausted.
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