Berlusconi Denounces Fraud Verdict, Blames ‘Political’ Judges for Ruining Italian Democracy
Berlusconi Denounces Fraud Verdict, Blames ‘Political’ Judges for Ruining Italian Democracy
A Milan court on Friday convicted former Premier Silvio Berlusconi of tax fraud and sentenced the media mogul to four years in prison — a verdict that could see him barred from public office for five years.
The 76-year-old billionaire businessman — who just two days ago said he would not run in Italy’s spring election — is expected to remain free until the appeals process is exhausted. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before verdicts are final.
Prosecutors had brought the case against Berlusconi and 10 other co-defendants over the purchase of rights to broadcast U.S. films on Berlusconi’s Mediaset empire.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court said Berlusconi could not hold public office for five years or manage any company for three years, penalties that would take force only if the conviction is upheld.
“It is a political conviction that I can define perfectly well as incredible and intolerable,” Berlusconi said in a phone call to his Italia 1 private network.
He denied that there was any connection between this case and his decision to step aside and allow another center-right candidate to seek the premiership.
“My lawyers and I never thought that such a conviction would be possible,” he said.