Organic Fraud: first sentences inflicted in Italy

The trial related to the "Gatto con gli Stivali" - “Puss in boots” fraud started with its first hearing on 22 May 2012 in Verona, Italy. The case was disclosed last December after two years of Financial Police’s accurate investigations in cooperation with authorized control bodies (we reported earlier).
 

Seven people, businessmen and officials, were charged of fraud by the prosecutor of Verona and have appeared at the bar. Four of the accused - Andrea Grassi, Michele Grossi, Davide Scapini and Stefano Spadini - agreed to plead guilty, expecting a more lenient sentence. In the hearing on this issue, they were sentenced as follows:
 

Andrea Grassi, legal representative of Fattoria dellla Speranza, owner of a trading firm and advisor of the Terra Viva farm, to 3 years' and 4 months' imprisonment

Michele Grossi, former manager of Suolo e Salute control body's regional office in Marche region, to 3 years' imprisonment. When Suolo e Salute found out about his unfaithfulness in mid-2010, he was let go, a complaint was filed against him and the Ministry of Agriculture was informed.

Davide Scapini, sales manager and shareholder of 49 % of Sunny Land, shareholder of 50 % of the farm Agribioscaligera di Badia Polesine, legal representative of the Terre del Sole farm, of Biopolesine Co. and of Eridano Trading to 3 years' imprisonment

Stefano Spadini, former freelancer at the Suolo e Salute control body's regional office in Marche region, to 2 years' probation. As Michele Grossi, Suolo e Salute, let him go, filed a complaint and informed the ministry.
 
Stefano Detassis was acquitted of the charge of criminal association, but was sentenced a 3 months' probation for trivial violations.
 

So, till now, a total 9 years' and 4 months' imprisonment and 2 years' and 3 months' probation were sentenced. The main defendant Luigi Marinucci (48), legal representative of the company Sunny Land, who has been under arrest from 6 December 2011, first in prison, then under house arrest, is charged (along with co-accused Angela Nazaria Siena, 40, legal representative of Bioecoitalia e Centro Cereali) of "conspiracy to commit fraud on the market, issuing of false invoices and other documents for non-existent transactions". Marinucci is still burdened by house arrest, as the court denied the petition to cancel "in the face of such a high number of criminal conduct and the ramifications of relationships and contacts; measures that leave freedom of movement to the accused are not appropriate to avoid the risk of recurrence of the offense".
 

The next hearing against Sunny Land’s Luigi Marinucci and Angela Nazaria Siena (as the other accused have left the trial with their plea bargaining) will be held on 6 July 2012. FederBio, the Italian umbrella federation of the organic movement sued the seven people for damage; its application as injured party was admitted by the court.

FederBio