The Lega funds’ affair: L’Espresso reporters acquitted

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Salvini and other party representatives had sued for five articles in 2018 regarding the 49 million euro of electoral reimbursements confiscated and which had largely disappeared.

On the 7^th January 2020 the journalists Marco Damilano, Giovanni Tizian, Gloria Riva, Stefano Vergine, Leonardo Sisti and Paolo Biondani of L’Espresso were fully acquitted by the Court of Velletri, of the accusation of libel. Giulio Centemero, Giancarlo Giorgetti and the then Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, all members of the La Lega political party had sued them for libel in relation to five articles, published in the weekly magazine between June and July 2018. The articles reported the scandal of the 49 million euro of electoral reimbursements to the La Lega which have largely disappeared.

Already in June 2019, the Prosecutor had asked for the dismissal of the case but Salvini and the other members of La Lega had opposed it. The Court of Velletri with the judgement of the 7^th January 2020 acquitted the journalists of L’Espresso unconditionally recognizing the important investigative work done by publishing “verified” and “documented” information, of “undoubted public interest” and set out “correctly”, according to the rights and obligations of the media.

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Read the news and the judge’s reasons in L’Espresso