An Italian appeals court upheld prison sentences for two Milan prosecutors over mishandling evidence in Eni’s Nigeria corruption case.
An Italian appeals court on Thursday upheld the eight-month prison sentences of Milan prosecutors Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro for failing to submit documents that could have supported Eni’s defence in a major corruption case. The ruling, delivered in Brescia, confirmed that the prosecutors breached their legal duty during the $1.3 billion Nigerian oilfield acquisition trial that saw Eni and Shell acquitted in 2021.
Before the verdict, Spadaro insisted “there was no refusal, there was no omission,” adding they acted “according to conscience and law.” Their lawyer, Massimo Dinoia, said they would appeal to the Court of Cassation, Italy’s top court.
The Milan court had earlier ruled that a video recorded by a former Eni lawyer — deemed relevant evidence — was withheld from trial files. The Brescia court, which oversees judicial cases involving Milan prosecutors, said both men may continue working during the appeals process.