FOGGIA – The Foggia court has fully acquitted Gerardo Biancofiore, president of Ance Puglia (national association of building contractors) of the charge of incitement to corruption at the end of a trial that lasted almost six and a half years. The sentence was issued late yesterday afternoon.
«With my back straight I faced a long process – declared Biancofiore. This sentence does me justice. I am very excited. It took several years but finally the truth came out.” The story dates back to December 2016 when in Cerignola the president of Ance Puglia was accused – in agreement with the entrepreneur Rocco Bonassisa, who agreed to a prison sentence of one year and 8 months – of having attempted to bribe the then first citizen Franco Metta, president of the Fg4 basin consortium for a construction project for the fifth lot of the landfill that Biancofiore and Bonassisa would have liked to create through a joint finance project. The corruption attempt would have consisted in the delivery – through Bonassisa – of a bribe of 20 thousand euros contained in a pack of biscuits. The Court of Foggia completely rejected the request of the public prosecutor, who had asked for a 7-year prison sentence, and that of the civil party, the former mayor Franco Metta who asked for substantial compensation for damages.
«I have finally seen my innocence recognized despite the unjust offenses and damages suffered in these long years of judicial ordeal – said Biancofiore – I thank my defenders, the lawyers Raul Pellegrini and Tullio Padovani for the commitment and passion they have shown to prove my innocence.” Lawyer Pellegrini underlines that «Biancofiore reserves the right to request compensation for the enormous damages suffered».
