All acquitted. The second Court of Appeal of Milan has overturned the first instance sentence in the appeal process involving Eni and Saipem on the case concerning the payment of alleged bribes for 197 million in Algeria.
The judges acquitted Saipem, which had been convicted in the first instance, and its former managers because 'the fact does not exist'. The appeal of the Milan prosecutor's office against Eni's acquittal has been declared inadmissible in the first instance (which is therefore confirmed). The six-legged dog company was charged under Law 231/2001 on the administrative liability of entities. Finally confirmed the acquittal for the former CEO of Eni Paolo Scaroni and for the manager Antonio Vella.
The Court also has lifted the $197 million forfeiture paid by Saipem. The sum was equal to the alleged bribe which, according to the indictment, Saipem would have paid to obtain contracts worth 8 billion euros in the North African country.
"It is a historic ruling. Justice has finally been done after 8 years of judicial massacre” affirms the lawyer Enrico Giarda, lawyer of Saipem. "Now we await the reasons," added the lawyer. “We didn't expect it but we had hoped for it because for years we have been supporting Saipem's absolute non-involvement with international corruption charges'”, concluded the lawyer.
The statements of Scaroni's lawyer Enrico De Castiglioni follow the same line: “It is a sentence that has done justice for my client, already acquitted by the Gup and by the court of first instance. I think we can put the definitive word 'end' to this affair”.
