Former Lombardy governor Maroni 1-yr term upheld

(ANSA) - Milan, November 8 - A Milan appeals court on Monday upheld a suspended one-year prison term for former Lombardy governor and former interior minister Roberto Maroni.
    Former rightist League party bigwig Maroni was found guilty, as at the first-instance trial, of exerting pressure to obtain payment for a trip to Tokyo and a job contract respectively for two people who worked for him when he was at the interior ministry, Maria Grazia Paturzo and Mara Carluccio.
    Maroni was convicted of disturbing the freedom of choice of contracting parties.
    The first-instance verdict came down on June 18, 2018.
    Maroni's lawyer said "he's certainly not happy with a sentence of guilty.
    "This because it is a trial in which anyone would expect to be acquitted.
    Commenting on the fact that the appeals court had "requalified" the crime, he said "a requalification requires a reading of the sentence motivations.
    "We will certainly appeal because we do not agree (with the verdict)," said the lawyer, Domenico Aiello.