Milan mayor requests fast trial in Expo contract case

Milan's mayor has requested a speedy trial on a charge of giving false statements to investigators looking into bid rigging for an Expo 2015 world's fair contract.

Mayor Giuseppe Sala said on Facebook on Tuesday that he has requested to proceed to trial without a preliminary hearing to clear his name as quickly as possible. Sala said he hopes that the proceedings will demonstrate "the truth, therefore that I am completely extraneous to the accusations," relating to his stint as chief executive of the Milan world's fair.

Sala is accused of backdating a document to avoid restarting the bidding process for a major contract to lay the groundwork for the Expo in order to avoid naming a new commission after a conflict of interest was revealed. He denies any wrongdoing.