Former League party treasurer
Francesco Belsito did not damage the image of the nationalist,
anti-migrant and Euroskeptic group when he was convicted of
embezzling party funds, a Genoa appeals court ruled Tuesday,
turning down a request for half a million euros in damages.
Former interior minister Matteo Salvini's League had filed
charges against Belsito and three businessmen saying they hit
the formerly secessionist party's popularity in 2011-2013, when
it dropped in opinion polls.
Salvini has since recast the once-regionalist party as a
national force and turned it into Italy's top-polling party.
League founder and former longtime leader Umnberto Bossi,
Belsito and three ex
auditors were found guilty of fraud against the State estimated
at 49 million euros, between 2008 and 2010, for
illicit electoral spending reimbursements.
Lawyers representing the League agreed on an arrangement with
prosecutors for the seizure of party funds related to the
convictions for fraud.
Under the arrangement, agreed in autumn 2019, 100,000 euros are
being confiscated
every two months for a total of 600,000 euros a year.
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