TURIN, Italy, April 15 (Reuters) - The chief executive of German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp's Italian unit, Herald Espenhahn, was sentenced to 16-1/2 years in jail on Friday over charges related to a fire that killed seven workers in 2007.
Five other managers received 10-year plus sentences and the company was fined 1 million euros ($1.45 million) after a court ruled they should be held responsible for the fire.
'We are totally unsatisfied and we will appeal. But I don't believe we will obtain a lot more,' defence lawyer Cesare Zaccone said after the court's verdict was read out by the president of the Turin Assizes, Maria Iannibelli.
The verdict was welcomed by prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello who said it would 'mean a lot for health and safety at the workplace.'
Four ThyssenKrupp officials -- Marco Pucci, Gerald Pregnitz, Giuseppe Salerno and Cosimo Cafueri -- received 13-1/2 year jail sentences, while Daniele Moroni received a sentences of 10 years and 10 months.
Apart from the fine, the court ruled that the Italian ThyssenKrupp special steels unit would not be allowed to benefit from state subsidies for six months. It was also ordered to publicise the ruling in major Italian newspapers and banned from advertising its products for six months.
($1=.6918 euro)
(Writing by Nigel Tutt; Editing by Ted Kerr)
((nigel.tutt@thomsonreuters.com; +39 02 66129723; Reuters Messaging:nigel.tutt.reuters.com@reuters.net)
Keywords: THYSSENKRUPP/
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Five other managers received 10-year plus sentences and the company was fined 1 million euros ($1.45 million) after a court ruled they should be held responsible for the fire.
'We are totally unsatisfied and we will appeal. But I don't believe we will obtain a lot more,' defence lawyer Cesare Zaccone said after the court's verdict was read out by the president of the Turin Assizes, Maria Iannibelli.
The verdict was welcomed by prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello who said it would 'mean a lot for health and safety at the workplace.'
Four ThyssenKrupp officials -- Marco Pucci, Gerald Pregnitz, Giuseppe Salerno and Cosimo Cafueri -- received 13-1/2 year jail sentences, while Daniele Moroni received a sentences of 10 years and 10 months.
Apart from the fine, the court ruled that the Italian ThyssenKrupp special steels unit would not be allowed to benefit from state subsidies for six months. It was also ordered to publicise the ruling in major Italian newspapers and banned from advertising its products for six months.
($1=.6918 euro)
(Writing by Nigel Tutt; Editing by Ted Kerr)
((nigel.tutt@thomsonreuters.com; +39 02 66129723; Reuters Messaging:nigel.tutt.reuters.com@reuters.net)
Keywords: THYSSENKRUPP/
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.