Raffaele Fitto
MEP
Minister for European Affairs, South and Cohesion Policies
Assumed office
22 October 2022
Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni
Preceded byVincenzo Amendola
(European Affairs, 2021)
Mara Carfagna
(South and Cohesion)
Co-Chair of the European
Conservatives and Reformists
In office
2 July 2019 – 12 October 2022
Serving alongsideRyszard Legutko
Jorge Buxadé
Member of European Parliament
for Southern Italy
In office
1 July 2014 – 12 October 2022
Succeeded byDenis Nesci
In office
20 July 1999 – 20 June 2000
Member of Chamber of Deputies
Assumed office
13 October 2022
In office
28 April 2006 – 25 June 2014
Minister for Regional Affairs and Territorial Cohesion
In office
8 May 2008 – 16 November 2011
Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi
Preceded byLinda Lanzillotta
Succeeded byPiero Gnudi (Regional Affairs)
Fabrizio Barca (Territorial Cohesion)
President of Apulia
In office
19 May 2000 – 27 April 2005
Preceded bySalvatore Distaso
Succeeded byNichi Vendola
Personal details
Born (1969-08-28) 28 August 1969
Maglie, Italy
Political partyBrothers of Italy (since 2019)
Other political
affiliations		DC (1990–94)
PPI (1994–95)
CDU (1995–98)
CDL (1998–2001)
FI (2001–09)
PdL (2009–13)
FI (2013–15)
CoR (2015–17)
DI (2017–19)
Alma materUniversity of Bari
ProfessionPolitician
Websiteraffaelefitto.it

Raffaele Fitto (born 28 August 1969) is an Italian politician and a member of the European Parliament. He is serving as the minister for European affairs in the Meloni Cabinet since 2022.

Career

Born in Maglie, Apulia, Fitto was elected in 1999 at European Parliament for Forza Italia.

On 17 May 2015, Fitto left Forza Italia and the European People's Party parliamentary group to join the European Conservatives and Reformists.[1][2]

In 2022 he was appointed to the Meloni government. He was replaced in the European Parliament by Denis Nesci.[3]

Trials

Bribery towards the Italian public health care system

Fitto in 2006 was investigated by the Bari prosecutor in connection with a donation to his regional party La Puglia Prima di Tutto of 500,000 Euros by Tosinvest, a company owned by Antonio Angelucci, ahead of the 2005 Apulian regional election. According to the prosecution this amount was suspected of being a bribe to secure for the Apulia region the management of eleven nursing homes.

A request to arrest Fitto, who in the meantime had become a Member of the Italian Parliament, was rejected by the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Fitto in December 2009 was found guilty of abuse of office, corruption and illegal financing of political parties; Fitto was acquitted of some other charges in June 2012.[4]

Fitto in February 2013 was sentenced by the Court of first instance (Tribunale di Primo Grado, the first grade) to four years in prison and five years' disqualification from public office;[5] the sentence was commuted to 1 year.[6]

Fitto in September 2015 was acquitted of all charges by the Court of second instance (Corte d'Appello, the second grade).[7]

Fitto in June 2017 was acquitted of all charges by the Supreme Court of Cassation (Corte di Cassazione, the final grade).[8]

Bankruptcy of Cedis

Fitto in February 2009 was accused of conspiring, during his presidency of the Apulia region (2000–2005), Italy, to short-sell the trading company "Cedis", at that time (2004–2006)[9] in administration. The charges were filed in April 2009; however in March 2017 Fitto was acquitted of all charges by the Court of second instance (Corte d'Appello, the second grade).[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Fitto, addio a Forza Italia: "Lascio anche il Ppe". Berlusconi: "Siamo felici, ci ha tolto un peso"". 17 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Berlusconi taglia la fronda: "Basta politici mestieranti, se vanno via siamo felici"".
  3. ↑ "Home | Denis NESCI | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "Processo 'La Fiorita', assoluzione con formula piena per Raffaele Fitto - Il Fatto Quotidiano". 1 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "Tangenti: condannato a 4 anni l'ex ministro Raffaele Fitto (Pdl)". 13 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Bari, ex ministro Raffaele Fitto condannato a 4 anni di carcere, tre condonati - Il Fatto Quotidiano". 13 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Raffaele Fitto assolto in secondo grado dall'accusa di corruzione nell'inchiesta Fiorita: "Non ci fu tangente" - Il Fatto Quotidiano". 29 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Legali: per Cassazione nessuna corruzione addebitabile a Fitto".
  9. ↑ "Inchiesta su turbativa d'asta Fitto rinuncia alla prescrizione - Bari - Repubblica.it".
  10. ↑ "Vicenda Cedis, Fitto e Montinari assolti a Bari".
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