/ 22 March 2006

Italian telecoms chief caught speeding at 311kph

One of Italy’s top executives was caught speeding on a motorway in northern Italy at 311kph while trying out his new car, the press reported on Saturday.

Riccardo Ruggiero, who runs Telecom Italia, the country’s main telecoms operator with a turnover of €30-billion last year, told police he was just putting his new Porsche Carrera through its paces, the daily La Stampa said.

He was fined €357 and lost 10 of the 20 points on his driving licence.

He will also face a suspension of his licence for one to three months, as decided by police, the paper said. — AFP