State Ordered to Pay 1 Billion Euros to TIM, Appeals Court Rules

Rome: An appeals court in Rome has denied a request from the prime minister’s office to suspend the payment of one billion euros to telecommunications company TIM. This payment, which the company had unfairly paid to the State in 1998, was previously ruled by a court of first instance. The ruling by the appeals court was issued on Monday and released on Wednesday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the State, through the premier’s office, had sought to suspend the payment pending the outcome of an appeals sentence. The prime minister’s office argued that suspending the payment was necessary due to a lack of available funds, which would have required adjustments in budget planning.

The appeals court, however, determined that the prime minister’s office had not sufficiently demonstrated its inability to make the payment. The court also noted that the office had declined a transaction agreement proposed by TIM’s legal representatives during the initial trial. This agreement offered a reduction of the payment by 150 million euros and included an installment plan.