Deputy minister Garavaglia acquitted of bid rigging

(ANSA) - Milan, July 17 - Deputy Economy Minister Massimo Garavaglia, of the nationalist League party, was acquitted Wednesday of bid rigging over services for transporting kidney patients for dialysis when he was Lombardy economy councillor in 2014.
    But fellow defendant Mario Mantovani, former Lombardy deputy governor was sentenced to five and a half years for corruption, embezzlement and bid rigging.
    Former Lombardy deputy governor and ex-health councillor Mantovani and another 14 people including then regional economy councillor Garavaglia were indicted in 2016.
    The charges were corruption, extortion, bid rigging and abuse of office.
    Former Senator Mantovani, also former mayor of Arconate and regional coordinator for Silvio Berlusconi's now-defunct People of Freedom party, was arrested with others including close aide Giacomo di Capua in October 2015.
    Garavaglia, a heavyweight in Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's far right League, was arrested a few months later.
    The League's government partner, the ant-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), had been expected to demand Garavaglia's resignation if he were convicted.