Former Liguria governor Giovanni Toti has reached a plea bargain agreement with the State Attorney’s Office for a suspended sentence of two years and one month, sources revealed on Friday.
The deal follows a corruption investigation that has rocked the Ligurian regional government. The agreement now awaits approval from a preliminary hearings judge (GUP), who will set a hearing for the case.
As part of the deal, Toti will serve 1,500 hours of probation, performing socially useful services. Additionally, he will be temporarily barred from holding public office or entering into contracts with the public administration for the duration of his sentence. Prosecutors and Toti’s defence lawyer, Stefano Savi, also agreed to the seizure of assets worth €84,100.
The charges against Toti include corruption and illicit financing. In response to the agreement, Toti expressed mixed emotions, saying, “On one hand, I feel bitterness for not being able to prove my innocence, and on the other, relief for seeing it recognized in good part.”
Toti was placed under house arrest in May as part of a probe into alleged bribes, where cash from an election campaign was exchanged for political favours, including the extension of a port terminal concession. He was released from detention after stepping down as governor in July.
In a related case, former chairman of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini, also reached a plea bargain with prosecutors. Signorini agreed to a prison term of three years and five months, the seizure of just over €100,000, and a temporary ban on public office. His agreement also awaits approval from a preliminary hearings judge.
Regional elections in Liguria are scheduled for 27th-28th October..
