Berlusconi trial set for Dec
2009-11-27 14:40
Milan - Magistrates in Milan said on Friday that a trial in which Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is charged with corruption, would resume on December 4.
The ruling stems from a decision by Italy's constitutional court earlier this month to strip Berlusconi of his immunity from prosecution.
Berlusconi is accused of paying his British former tax lawyer, David Mills, $600 000 to give false evidence in two trials in the 1990s.
Mills, the estranged husband of British Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, was tried separately and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail over the case in February.
Reacting to Friday's ruling, Berlusconi's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, said the premier would be "prevented legitimately", from appearing in court on December 4 because of a Cabinet meeting set for that day.
Proceedings against Berlusconi in the Mills case have resumed after they were suspended when Italy's centre-right government introduced a law in 2008 granting Italy's top state and government officials, including the premier, immunity from prosecution while in office.
The constitutional court's ruling that the law violates Italy's constitution has re-opened pending judicial cases involving the premier, including another trial set for January in which the premier is accused of tax fraud involving his television network Mediaset's purchase of TV rights in the United States.
Berlusconi has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, alleging he is the victim of a political vendetta waged by "red" or Communist magistrates and prosecutors.
On Thursday evening, top members of the premier's People of Freedom Party, including Justice Minister Angelino Alfano vowed to press on with legislation to reform the country's judiciary.
The government claims the measure will reform Italy's notoriously slow judicial system, but opponents say the bill has been drafted to help Berlusconi escape trial.
The bill would limit trials to six years for offences carrying a sentence of ten years, from the first verdict through two rounds of appeals.
If applied retroactively, the law could ensure that both trials currently involving the premier would run out of time.
- SAPA