All defendants acquitted in first verdict on Milan urban-planning projects

All eight defendants charged with

building-code violations regarding the Torre Milano skyscraper

were acquitted on Tuesday in the first ruling on a series of

criminal cases regarding urban-planning projects in Milan that

have rocked the administration of Mayor Giuseppe Sala.

"Obviously, we are satisfied," Sala told a news conference.

"Naturally there's a great deal of bitterness too.

"I said it well before the time, a few weeks ago, and I can only

reiterate now that a part of the prosecutor's office — and I

emphasize only a part of it — has given its a political

orientation to its work, and I believe this is not right.

"I have two reasons to be bitter.

"The first is having seen people close to me affected, people

whose honesty I am absolutely certain of.

"I'll name one: former executive councillor (for urban

regeneration Giancarlo) Tancredi, who has also seen his career

and his peace of mind ruined to some degree.

"And the second thing is the constant use of adjectives (by

prosecutors), a need to bolster their arguments with words

intended to discredit our actions.

"What really embittered me was the verbal violence used by the

prosecutors to support the charges".

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