Lavitola facing second jail term

Prosecutors have asked for a four year prison sentence for Valter Lavitola, the Italian businessman, facilitator who was instrumental in the negotiations between Panama and Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica for $250 million.

Italian prosecutors Henry John Woodcock and Vincenzo Piscitelli asked a judge yesterday to Naples a sentence of four years in prison for Valter Lavítola businessman, accused of trying to extort in 2011 the then Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi.

On November 10 and accepted a sentence of 3 years and 8 months imprisonment in the case against him for the diversion of about $29.5 million to the newspaper Avanti.
Prosecutors accuse Lavítola– of trying to extort $ 5 million from Berlusconi in exchange for not revealing details about the services he provided for parties with prostitutes.
In that case, the Italian authorities also accused the Argentine Carmelo Pintabona, an alleged Lavítola broker, and asked for a prison sentence of one year and seven months.
A letter from Lavítola to Berlusconi, was found in September in which, among other things, he revealed that former Italian prime minister would have about $128,000 to the president, Ricardo Martinelli, for television rights. The letter was addressed to Berlusconi in December 2011, four months before Lavitola was arrested..
The trial will continue in January, when defense arguments will be presented.