Add further Prodi's indulgence law that automatically lops off three years from a sentence for all crimes committed before May 2006. That makes one-and-a-half years to serve which is automatically discounted for obligatory generic extenuating "reasons" (an assault on simple logic).
The sentence may hurt him in the pocket but I'm quite sure the tab can be picked up by the man who corrupted Mills and who cannot be pursued in court thanks to a law that puts him above and beyond the law.
As for Mills characterization of the trial as "highly political", effectively that's just what he and his corruptor want to portray it as such- which certainly doesn't make it so. His remark about the prosecutor alleged admission that there's no proof is outright false. Mills has been well tutored in the art of Berlusconian victimization and outright misrepresentation of facts.
A more catchy Mills case was his traffic in possibly contaminated blood some years ago which earned him the nickname "Dracula" but I suppose that sort of news doesn't get too far abroad especiall when you have a prim wife in the cabinet.
Mills is lucky to be tried in Italy. Those who adhere to the principles of an ethical state are content that justice has been able to conclude a trial despite nearly insurmountable odds, tailor-made laws designed to block the trial, exonerate the corruptor, leaving in the final analysis an Englishman dangling like a dismembered limb. Beyond the formalities of a judiciary truth immediately strangled by a media blitzkrieg, yes, we all know the sentence effectively means nothing.
I had no idea about the contaminated blood trade.
The fact that he was married to a Blair-ite cabinet minister bothers me even more - although it doesn't surprise me.
As I recall, the blood- several thousand liters- disappeared from storage in northern Italy just as a decree was issued ordering its destruction. Mills did an ingenious job of engineering false suits by myriad companies in London to confound investigators trying to track the missing blood down. The companies however all lead back to Mills. I do have the case on record somewhere in my meatworld clutter and could be able to furnish more detail.
Quite a piece of work is Mr Mills.
Poor fellow, being caught on such a minor thing.
(And a daily newsbyte: Eight mafiosi arrested in Sicily on setting up a wind farm racket.)
