Luca Volontè

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Luca Volontè
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
9 May 1996 – 14 March 2013
Parliamentary groupCCD-CDU (1996–2002)
UdC (2002–2013)
ConstituencyLombardy 2 (1993–2017)
Personal details
Political partyUdC (from 2002)
Other political
affiliations		DC (to 1994)
PPI (1994–1995)
CDU (1995–2002)
EducationDegree in political science
Alma materUniversity of Milan

Luca Volontè (born 17 March 1966) is an Italian politician, born in Saronno (Lombardy), a graduate in Political Science from the University of Milan, formerly a member of the Union of the Centre.

Political career[edit]

In 1994, Luca Volontè became in charge of the local entities in the Italian Popular Party (PPI). He followed Rocco Buttiglione in the split from the PPI, which led to the foundation of the CDU, where he became an organizational manager.

Luca Volontè was elected to the Chamber of Deputies from the second constituency of Lombardy during the elections of 1996. He was re-elected in 2001, 2006 and 2008.[1]

From 2010 to 2013 he served as Chairman of the parliamentary group of the European People's Party in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.[2]

Corruption charges, Conviction and Acquittals[edit]

Following investigative reports, published by the European Stability Initiative on "Caviar diplomacy",[3][4] in June 2016, the Milan prosecutor's office brought charges against Luca Volontè on 2 episodes: money laundering and accepting bribes. In 2017, it was also revealed that Volontè had been involved in the Azerbaijani laundromat scandal - a complex money-laundering scheme used to pay off European politicians in an attempt to whitewash Azerbaijan’s reputation abroad. According to the Prosecutor's Office Volontè received €2.39 million to organise support for Azerbaijani officials in the Council of Europe.[5][6] Part of the money went through Volontè's Novae Terrae Foundation to lobbies Iona Institute, CitizenGO (he was a member of its board), the ECI Mum, Dad & Kids initiative against equal marriage and Dignitatis Humanae Institute.[7] In January 2021, Criminal Section X of the Court of Milan sentenced Luca Volontè to four years in prison for taking bribes from Azerbaijani politicians.[8] On December 22nd, 2021 Volonté was acquitted of the accusation of money laundering, Verdict No.8364. On May 22nd of the same year the Court of Appeals in Milan acquitted him of the charges of corruption levelled at him as Director of the Novae Terrae Foundation, Verdict No. 3549, confirmed the following year by the High Court (Corte di Cassazione) on May 24th 2023, Verdict No.28227. The other charges have all been extinguished under the Statute of Limitations.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Luca Giuseppe Volonte' / Deputati / Camera dei deputati – Portale storico". storia.camera.it. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  2. ^ PACE. "Mr Luca VOLONTÈ".
  3. ^ "Caviar Diplomacy – How Azerbaijan silenced the Council of Europe | ESI". esiweb.org. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  4. ^ "The European Swamp (Caviar Diplomacy Part 2) – Prosecutors, corruption and the Council of Europe | ESI". esiweb.org. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Corruzione, "immunità parlamentare non preclude perseguibilità". La Cassazione annulla proscioglimento Volontè". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 24 July 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Corruzione, "tangente da due milioni dall'Azerbaijan": indagato a Milano ex Udc Volontè". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 25 June 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  7. ^ Norris, Sian (21 June 2021). "The Money Men Behind CitizenGO's Anti-Rights Agenda". Byline Times. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  8. ^ Ljubas, Zdravko. "Italian Court Sentences Former Council of Europe MP for Bribery". www.occrp.org. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  9. ^ José María Ballester Esquivias, Absuelto Luca Volonté tras siete anos de calvario judicial https://www.eldebate.com/internacional/20220528/absuelto-luca-volonte-siete-anos-calvario-judicial.html
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