Breaking News: Former Head of Italy’s Motorway Operator Sentenced
Giovanni Castellucci, the former head of Italy’s motorway operator, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. This ruling comes after the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa in August 2018, which resulted in 43 deaths.
Prosecutors had requested a longer sentence for Castellucci, who was the CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia (Aspi) at the time of the disaster. He is already serving a six-year sentence for a separate road incident in 2013.
Castellucci was one of 57 defendants on trial. Another official, Michele Donferri Mitelli, received an 11-year sentence. The former number two at Aspi, Paolo Berti, was sentenced to five and a half years.
The court heard that the bridge collapsed during a rainstorm, causing vehicles to fall. Prosecutors argued that the maintenance of the bridge was neglected, while defense lawyers cited a design flaw as the cause.
All defendants denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors sought a total of 400 years in prison for the group, indicating the severity of the case. The verdict was announced by Judge Paolo Lepri.
