On November 28, the first-instance ruling was issued in criminal case No. 299/RNR/2022, which found former General Manager Roberto Moretti guilty of abuse of authority towards several employees who had joined the Central Bank as civil plaintiffs.
The ruling also stated that "proceedings against Confuorti Francesco, Savorelli Lorenzo, and Siotto Filippo were not pursued regarding the continued crime of abuse of authority [...] due to its extinction by statute of limitations" and acquitted Mirella Sommella of the continued crime of abuse of authority for not having committed the act in question, while declaring the crime extinguished by statute of limitations for another conduct.
The Board of Directors and the Ethics Committee of the Central Bank express satisfaction with the outcome of the criminal proceedings. Although the statute of limitations applied to some of the contested cases, the ruling, if definitively confirmed, firmly sanctions the abusive conduct and reaffirms the integrity of Banca Centrale's employees, who have consistently worked in accordance with the principles of autonomy, independence, legality, and transparency, despite the challenges they faced.
The Central Bank cannot overlook the gravity of the facts and will continue to actively cooperate with the relevant authorities in all appropriate forums to protect its employees.