Berlusconi says antitrust probe 'unfounded'

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi today said that a probe opened by the country’s antitrust body to establish if he violated conflict-of-interest rules was “unfounded".

The probe was initiated after his government approved subsidies to Italians who bought digital-television decoders.

Italy’s competitions regulator said its investigation related to money that was set aside in the 2006 budget, approved by Parliament.

Italy has paid €200m since 2004 to buyers of digital decoders in a bid to promote digital TV.

The decoders are used to translate digital broadcasts into a format that can be viewed on an analogue set.

Critics say the subsidies favour Berlusconi’s television broadcasting empire, Mediaset SPA, and the case marks the latest of many legal actions against the premier.