Italian court finds former Impregilo CEO guilty of waste dumping

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - An Italian appeals court sentenced builder Impregilo's former chief executive Alberto Rubegni to prison on Friday for illegal disposal of waste during the construction of a rail line by the Cavet consortium, of which he was head. Builder Impregilo, which has since been taken over by rival contractor Salini, controlled the consortium at the time it was building the high speed link between Bologna and Florence. The court sentenced Rubegni to two years and one month in prison. Another 18 people were also found guilty by the court. One of the lawyers for the Cavet consortium said it would appeal against the ruling before Italy's highest court. The trial began in late 2004. Italy's state railroad opened the high-speed link from Milan to Rome via Bologna and Florence in December 2008. (Reporting by Silvia Ognibene; Writing by Danilo Masoni; Editing by Anthony Barker)