The second criminal section of the Milan court has partly acquitted and partly prescribed Fedele Confalonieri, president of Mediaset, and Pier Silvio Berlusconi, vice president of Mediaset, from the charge of tax fraud in the Mediatrade trial. The prescription concerns the year 2005 and the acquittal the following years: 2006, 2007 and 2008 with the motivation that "the fact does not constitute a crime".
In Emilia, on the other hand, the Vasco Errani era ends after 15 years: in fact, the president of the Region was today sentenced on appeal to one year (suspended sentence) for the case Terremerse, and following the ruling he resigned. The sentence was pronounced by the Court of Appeal of Bologna e overturns that of the trial of first instance, where Errani was acquitted of the charge of false ideology in a public deed ("Because the fact does not exist") for the report sent by the Region to the magistrates on the financing of the Terremerse agricultural coop, led at the time of the events by Errani's brother, Giovanni.
“It's a moment of bitterness – these are Vasco Errani's first words -. But I'm not talking about myself first. I speak of the Region, because my task is to protect the institution, its honour, the clean reality and example to many that this Emilia-Romagna is. I have always put the institution before every other consideration – myself – and I don't change now. Don't make any confusion: what I personally suffer doesn't become mud for the institution. For this I intend to tender my resignation immediately, and in doing so I vindicate my commitment and my honesty over all these years. And my full innocence also in this specific fact. Full innocence. So I announce right away that I will file an appeal so that this simple truth prevails. My resignation is therefore purely a gesture of responsibility. To these I add my thanks to collaborators, institutions, state bodies, social and economic forces, because there has been a significant and constructive collaboration with all. To all, thanks again and best wishes for your work".
