The investigating judge of Genoa Paola Faggioni rejected the request for revocation of house arrest made by the lawyer of Giovanni Totipresident of the Liguria Region suspended since May 7th.
The decision, formalized this morning, represents a further blow for Toti, arrested as part of a vast investigation by the Genoese prosecutor’s office which sees him accused of corruption, vote swapping and forgery.
Toti’s defense lawyer, Stefano Savihad filed the application on June 10, requesting the lifting of house arrest for his client. Alternatively, Savi had requested a relaxation of the restrictive measure, proposing less distressing solutions which would still allow the precautionary needs requested by the judicial authority to be guaranteed.
Despite the arguments presented by the defense, the judge for preliminary investigations Paola Faggioni considered that the conditions for accepting the request did not exist. The decision to maintain house arrest is motivated by the need to avoid possible contamination of the evidence and further risks associated with the freedom of the suspect, considering the seriousness of the accusations made against him.
Giovanni Toti is accused of orchestrating a system of corruption involving public procurement, trading favors and false statements. The specific charges include corruption, vote swapping and forgery, crimes which, according to investigators, were committed in the exercise of his institutional functions. The investigation, conducted by the Genoa prosecutor’s office, brought to light an alleged illicit system which also involves other political leaders and local entrepreneurs.
With the rejection of the revocation request, Giovanni Toti will remain under house arrest pending the developments of the investigations. The defense has already announced its intention to appeal against the investigating judge’s decision, arguing that the measures adopted are excessive and not justified by the evidence collected so far.
