The Italian court sentenced two Milan prosecutors to eight months in prison on Tuesday for failing to file documents that could have supported energy group Eni’s position in an international corruption case.
Eni, Shell, and all defendants were acquitted in March 2021 in the industry’s biggest corruption case, which revolved around the $1.3 billion acquisition of a Nigerian oilfield a decade ago.
Judges in a court in Brescia ruled that the prosecutors had a legal obligation to file documents that could have helped the defense team in that trial.
The prosecutors’ lawyer said they planned to appeal against the verdict and can continue working during the appeals process.
The ruling, if upheld, will also mean that the prosecutors and the government will have to compensate one of the defendants acquitted in the Eni trial.
The Milan court that acquitted all defendants criticized the way the prosecutors had carried out their work, saying they had failed to file a video shot by a former Eni external lawyer.
The Brescia court issued the eight-month sentence requested by prosecutors who said the prosecutors had hidden elements in favor of the defendants, infringing their rights.
Their lawyer had asked the court for a full acquittal, arguing there was no rule that immediately required prosecutors to file documents in a trial.
The Brescia court has jurisdiction over judges and prosecutors in Milan.