Berlusconi fights corruption charges

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi told a court trying him on corruption charges today that he had participated in the contested business deal only to serve the best interests of his nation.

The billionaire business mogul is accused of bribing judges in Rome to sway in his favour a ruling on the sale of former state-controlled food company SME in the 1980s. The premier said then-Premier Bettino Craxi asked him to get involved because the arranged sale-price of the company was too low.