Antonio Esposito, ex judge of the Court of Cassation, has once again suffered a defeat in court. This time, the verdict was pronounced by the civil court of Rome, and it was unfavorable to the retired judge. Esposito had filed a defamation lawsuit against three citizens of Ischia, accusing them of making heavy statements against him back in 2014. These statements were made during defensive investigations carried out by lawyer Bruno Larosa on behalf of Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy. The three individuals were waiters at a hotel owned by Domenico De Siano, who was also a member of Forza Italia, Berlusconi’s political party. The testimonies collected by Larosa included expressions used by Esposito to refer to Berlusconi, such as “That scoundrel Berlusconi” and “Do they still need to arrest him?”. The defense investigations aimed to prove that Esposito had prejudices against Berlusconi during the trial at the Court of Cassation. These statements resurfaced in 2020 during a television show, leading Esposito to file a defamation lawsuit three years ago, seeking €150,000 in damages from the three waiters. However, Judge Silvia Albano of the Rome court ruled against Esposito, stating that there was no evidence that the waiters had lied. The judge also stated that Esposito’s arguments were personal opinions and did not prove the falsity of the statements made by the waiters. The court ordered Esposito to pay the legal costs of the waiters, amounting to €4,500, plus additional fees and taxes. Esposito still has the option to appeal the verdict. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Esposito has accused these individuals. In 2019, he filed a criminal complaint against them, as well as against lawyer Bruno Larosa, accusing them of perjury and abuse of office. However, both the Naples prosecutor’s office and the Naples court dismissed these accusations, stating that no crime had been committed. Larosa also faced disciplinary proceedings at the Naples Bar Association, but his actions were deemed correct and Esposito’s claims were proven false. Esposito has filed numerous lawsuits against journalists, politicians, and ordinary citizens in the aftermath of the Berlusconi trial, but he has rarely achieved the desired outcome. In some cases, the accused individuals have been acquitted, and their statements have been deemed true by the courts.
