The long-awaited decision has arrived. The Court of Review confirmed the seizure of the funds of the League. The party of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini, will have to compensate the State with around 49 million euros for the maxi scam on undue electoral reimbursements that took place between 2008 and 2010.
After the postponement of the hearing established yesterday, the judges therefore decided to go ahead with the kidnapping following the sentence inflicted on Senator Umberto Bossi, and on the former treasurer of the Carroccio, Francesco Belsito. The three former Party auditors were also sentenced.
Last April, the Supreme Court had referred the case to re-examination after accepting the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office to be able to seize from Carroccio, in addition to those already found, the funds attributable to the party today and future proceeds up to the total coverage of 49 million euros.
The Court therefore granted the prosecutors of Genoa the possibility of placing seals on the capitals of Salvini's party.
Not a small problem for the League given that at the moment the seized funds amount to around 3 million and currently there are just over 5 million in the party's coffers. The undersecretary to the Prime Minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, had declared last week that the review sentence would lead to the "end" of the League. Instead, show peace of mind Matthew Salvini: "It's a story of the past, I'm calm", commented the leader of the League, knowing the outcome of the sentence, "the lawyers will make their choices: if they want to take everything away from us, go ahead, the Italians are with us".
However, the last word has not yet been said. League defenders might now appeal the decision and appeal again to the Supreme Court.
However, the party's lawyers reiterate that “the money that the League has in its cash register now is contributions from elected officials, donations from voters and 2 per thousand from the tax return. These sums are not only lawful but also have a constitutional purpose: they allow the party to pursue the country's democratic aims. To say that they are the profit of the crime is a legal nonsense”. On the contrary, the prosecutor Francesco Cozzi had announced that in the event that the Review accepted the decision of the Cassation, he would request the immediate seizure of the funds.
