Top Fiat Execs Scheduled for Trial

12/03/96

The Associated Press Reports that Fiat's chairman and chief financial officer have been ordered to stand trial on January 15, on charges of falsifying records and illegally financing political parties.

Fiat chairman Cesare Romiti and financial director Francesco Paolo Mattioli will stand trial in Turin, where Fiat's headquarters are housed. Reportedly, prosecutors conducted a long investigation into allegations that accused the carmaker of false bookkeeping so it could establish secret accounts abroad during the mid-80s. The accounts were allegedly used for political kickbacks.

Romiti's lawyer said he was satisfied that the court agreed to honor the defense's request to hold the trial behind closed doors. A Fiat spokesman said the company would not comment on legal matters.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel