«No one can say where a billion euros ended up, I was the only one who paid»

PADUA – The second hearing of the trial in which Alberto Gottardo, a former Paduan journalist, commentator and radio speaker as well as blogger, is accused, took place yesterday morning in front of the judge of the single judge. He is accused of aggravated and continued defamation against the governor of Veneto Luca Zaia. Between 2017 and 2020, on the occasion of some radio broadcasts (on Radio Padova and Radio Cafè) and on TV (on the Antenna Tre broadcaster), he would repeatedly offend the president with epithets such as “incompetent… someone who talks super bullshit… teleshopping presenter”, also insinuating his participation in criminal offences, as reported in the indictment. Other sentences are: “He didn’t notice or didn’t want to notice that Galan and Chisso were stealing from the four mills”, with reference to the investigation into the Mose and the bribes pocketed by the two, a legal matter which Zaia was never even touched by. Or: «They went around eating forms of parmesan, hams and company», speaking of the subsidiary of the Ministry of Agriculture Buonitalia, which ended up in liquidation with 4 million in debts». And yesterday, among the defense witnesses with the lawyer Roberto De Nicolao, the former Doge Giancarlo Galan appeared in the courtroom. «Yes, I know Zaia, he was my deputy and Minister of Agriculture, therefore governor of Veneto and I was Minister of Agriculture» began Galan. Then he spoke about Buonitalia: «It was a useless institution whose liquidation I had ordered».

Galan show: «I was the only one who paid»

But the former Doge, now in retreat on the Berici hills, put on the real show outside the courtroom, giving himself over to journalists. The first passage is on the Mose. «The Venezia Nuova Consortium has financed Italian politics for years and also the Curia of Venice. However no one can say where a billion euros went». And again: «No one questioned me at the time even though I had requested it, I was the only one who paid and I never understood why I ended up in prison… Furthermore, the MOSE was not the responsibility of the region, but of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Finance and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. I have many things to say, perhaps in the future I will say them…”. Galan then spoke about politics although: «I will never go into politics again, it disgusts me… I no longer had relationships with Forza Italia, I only have relationships with people…”. But he remembered the Pedemontana: «I started it otherwise it would never have been created, so someone finished it because I started it. However, Veneto is at a standstill, there is no new hospital, what has been done? And then we spend, I think, 150 million euros to host two Olympic games.” And here is what the former doge must consider to be the right ingredient to restart the Veneto. “The next governor will have to have more courage, worry less about buying consensus and instead do great things.” He also dedicated a thought to Padua, his hometown. «I express a positive opinion on Padua, even if the administration is left-wing and for what it’s worth Giordani has my support». Finally Galan recounted his daily life: «I don’t have a penny and I’m a pensioner without a pension, and my wife has left. Luckily my brother has this holiday house where he lives. However, you don’t see me sad.” Next hearing on October 12th for discussion and sentence.

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