Jonella Ligresti released to house arrest in Fonsai fraud
(ANSA) – Rome, November 20 – Jonella Ligresti, who was arrested in July as part of a major fraud investigation involving the Fonsai insurance group, was released to house arrest on Wednesday.
Judges in Turin decided to release her to house arrest as investigators continue their probe of members of the family of former insurance magnate Salvatore Ligresti and their dealings with Fonsai.
Salvatore Ligresti and company officers are accused of corruption in the probe into alleged accounting fraud and market manipulation at the troubled Italian insurance group.
A trial date has been set for December for Salvatore and Jonella Ligresti and other suspects, including Fonsai manager Emanuele Erbetta.
The group are accused of involvement in accounting irregularities that enabled Salvatore Ligresti, according to the indictment, to acquire illegal dividends of 200 million euros.
The Ligresti family are the former majority owners of the Fonsai and Milano Assicurazioni insurance companies.
The family has been under additional scrutiny recently because of allegations that Justice Minister Anna Maria Cancelleri used her influence to see Giulia Ligresti released from jail into house arrest.
Cancellieri denied those allegations and won a parliamentary confidence motion on Wednesday.
Earlier this month Cancellieri admitted that she called judicial authorities regarding Giulia Ligresti’s medical state but denied influencing the decision to release her from jail.