Appeals court upholds Berlusconi corruption acquittal

A MILAN appeals court acquitted former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in a corruption case yesterday, upholding an earlier acquittal in one of several cases faced by Italy’s richest man.

“The crime does not exist and he did not commit the crime,” the judge said.

In March, prosecutor Piero De Petris had asked for a five-year jail sentence for the media magnate, accused of bribing judges.

“Berlusconi was very emotional,” one of his lawyers, Gaetano Pecorella, said after the court ruling.

“It’s a great result. After 11 years of effort Berlusconi has been recognised as completely innocent of all charges,” his other lawyer in the case, Nicolo Ghedini, said.

Mr Berlusconi, owner of broadcaster Mediaset, was first acquitted in 2004.

A law introduced by his government meant he could not be retried but it was ruled unconstitutional earlier this year, giving prosecutors a green light to appeal.

Mr Berlusconi, head of the centre-right opposition, was accused of bribing judges to stop the sale of food group SME to a rival businessman in the 1980s. He had called the accusations against him “completely unfounded”.

Prosecutors may appeal the decision.

Mr Berlusconi has fought several legal battles since he launched himself into politics in 1994.

In a trial underway in Milan, he is accused of paying British lawyer David Mills a €440,000 kickback in 2000 for withholding incriminating details about him.

Mr Berlusconi and Mr Mills, the estranged husband of British culture secretary Tessa Jowell, have denied any wrongdoing.