RTSI loses legal dispute with Sergio Savoia

 Former Ticino radio presenter Sergio Savoia has won the legal battle with RTSI over his dismissal in August 2001. The District Court and now also the Court of Appeal see the dismissal as unjustified. The Court of Appeal ruled that RTSI's allegations against Savoia did not stand up. The latter was accused of excessively visiting porn sites on the Internet during his working hours. Savoia did not deny having clicked on relevant sites, but not to the extent alleged. On the grounds of preparing a satirical-critical Internet broadcast, he had been given access to sites that were blocked for other RTSI employees by a filter. 
Savoia will receive around 55,000 francs in compensation from the RTSI. As the RTSI writes in a statement, the case "has been substantially settled for a long time.
". The 21-page verdict of the Court of Appeal has been taken note of and no comments will be made for reasons of personal privacy. As Sergio Savoia writes in a statement, he is glad that he has also received justice in the second instance. However, the verdict cannot undo all the inconvenience he and his family have suffered as a result of the summary dismissal. Savoia, 44, now works as the executive director of an environmental organization. He also represents the Green Party in the Ticino cantonal parliament.