Ex-De Tomaso owner Rossignolo sent to trial for fraud

(ANSA) - Turin, September 28 - Businessman Gian Mario Rossignolo was indicted Monday for fraud in the bankruptcy of sports and luxury carmaker De Tomaso Automobili SpA.
    He and seven other co-defendants, including his son Gianluca, face trial beginning in March 2016.
    Three more co-defendants plea-bargained sentences of 22-24 months.
    Founded in 1959, De Tomaso owned legendary sports carmaker Maserati from 1976-1993, and Moto Guzzi motorcycles from 1973-1993. It went into liquidation in 2004, and Rossignolo acquired it in 2009.
    He was arrested in 2012 for allegedly swindling the labor ministry out of 7.5 million euros earmarked for training 1,000 workers - but the courses never took place.
    De Tomaso was bought earlier this year by Ideal Time Venture Ltd, which is domiciled in the Virgin Islands and operates out of Hong Kong.
    The firm paid just over one million euros for the Italian carmaker, which still has 900 workers on the books - all of them laid off.