OfCesare Bechis
It will resume on May 17th. In addition to the leaders of the Riva family, the former governor Nichi Vendola was also convicted at first instance
A short hearing – a couple of hours – began on the morning of April 19th Tarantoin the bunker room of the old headquarters of the court of appeal in the Paolo Sezzo district, at the second degree trial «Undersold environment» on the alleged environmental and health disaster caused by the Taranto steel plant in the years 1995-2012 during the family’s management shore. At first instance, sentences were issued against the Riva brothers, the managers of the Taranto factory, some politicians including the former president of the Region Nichi Vendola and Gianni Florido of the Province of Taranto.
The possible transfer to Potenza
Hovering in the background of the appeal process, however, is the question of where it will take place and the president Antonio Del Coco, with the side judge Ugo Bassi and the six popular judges, will have to express their opinion on whether or not to transfer from Taranto to Potenza. The defenders of many defendants had already in recent years asked in vain for them to be moved and at the conclusion of the first instance, challenging the convictions, they once again invoked legitimate suspicion by reproposing the appeal against the order with which the assize court had rejected the request for postponement of the trial and its transfer to Power. They based this request on the fact that some magistrates, honorary and professional, were also to be considered injured parties for the environmental and health damage suffered as residents or owners of houses affected by the pollution caused by the factory.
Preliminary questions
Today time slipped away in the indispensable procedural steps of the initial hearing with the constitution of the parties, the appeal of the defendants (39 individuals, five less than the first instance, and three companies) and the program of the next hearings. President Antonio Del Coco has set the resumption of work for May 7th, then every Friday until July 12th. Meanwhile the lawyer Pasquale Annicchiarico, which assists the Rivas, presented reasons for integration and IT supports, the admissibility of which the Court of Appeal will decide at a future hearing. President Del Coco announced that he will use the next four hearings for preliminary questions and requests for renewal of the investigation, another two will be dedicated to the replies of the civil parties and the public prosecution. Then the Court will have two weeks to express its opinion and also draw up the program for the resumption of the trial. In the next hearing the Court will decide on the requests for suspension of the temporary execution of the provisional payments against the offended parties ordered in the amount of 5000 euros in favor of hundreds of residents of the Tamburi district, workers and associations.
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April 19, 2024
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Tags: Environment sold appeal process begins Taranto Requested transfer Potenza
