'Italy tarnished by corruption' says supreme court president

(ANSA) - Rome, January 23 - Italy's supreme Court of Cassation term opened on Friday with an appeal by First President Giorgio Santacroce for a "stable" political environment, warning that "Italy is tarnished by corruption," ANSA sources said.
    Santacroce, referring to last year's Expo corruption scandal and December arrests linked to organized crime in Rome's city government, said they "shed a disconcerting light on the capacity of criminal organizations to infiltrate institutions and the economy".
    The first president of Italy's highest appeals court called for an end to "no cost" judicial reform, and said filters were needed in the appeals process or the court could face collapse, citing that the current court backlog alone would take 3 years and four months to complete.