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.
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