Berlusconi on trial

last updated 8 January 2015

Milan

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s richest man and most flamboyant former prime minister, was charged this week with corruption. Berlusconi is accused of paying his friend David Mills, a British lawyer, more than half a million dollars to lie for him on the stand in two other trials concerning questionable business deals. Berlusconi’s lawyers said they would seek to have the case thrown out because the judge is also presiding over yet another case against Berlusconi, involving false accounting and tax fraud. Berlusconi has frequently been taken to court over his business dealings, but always has been either acquitted or cleared on technicalities. He enjoyed a break from the trials during his five years in office, since serving lawmakers have immunity.