These included Fausto Tonna, the long-time finance director who had quit in March 2003, shortly after the company surprised investors by pulling a bond issue at the last minute, and Gianpaolo Zini, Parmalat's legal counsel.

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"You know that if you fire those three or four key members of staff the company would shut down immediately, and all the workers would lose their jobs, including those who have no links, " says Gianpaolo Capasso, the head of the agency in the Campania region.

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