Jail term asked for Liguria PD lawmaker

(ANSA) - Genoa, May 6 - Prosecutors in the northwestern city of Genoa on Friday requested a prison sentence of two years eight months for Liguria Regional Councilmember Raffaella Paita, leader of the Democratic Party (PD) caucus. Paita and former civil protection chief Gabriella Minervini are charged with manslaughter and culpable disaster for officials' failure to raised the alarm prior to the October 9, 2014, flash floods in Genoa that killed one person, covered the metropolitan area in mud, and brought the port city to its knees.
    Retired nurse Antonio Campanella, 57, was swept away by floodwater after the Bisagno River, Genoa's main waterway, burst its banks.
    Flood-protection systems were not completed in Genoa despite a disaster that killed six people in 2011, compounding anger over the flooding and mudslides that caused millions of euros in damage.
    While 35 million euros had been earmarked for shoring up the city, projects became bogged down in legal wrangles and red tape. On Friday, prosecutors also asked for Minervini to be indicted.