Gasparri acquitted in PdL funds probe

(ANSA) - Rome, April 6 - The deputy Speaker of the Senate, Maurizio Gasparri of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party, was acquitted Wednesday of embezzling 600,000 euros in public funding earmarked for Berlusconi's now-defunct People of Freedom (PdL) party. Prosecutors had said Gasparri used the money for a life assurance policy in his name. Gasparri, who was acquitted according to the maximum possible verdict, "the event did not take place", said "I would have a lot of things to say but I won't say them". His lawyers said the sentence was "vindication" of the fact that he had done nothing wrong.