Berlusconi-Mills indictment hearing set for June

An Italian judge today said he will start hearing the case on whether to indict Premier Silvio Berlusconi and British lawyer David Mills, estranged husband of Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, on corruption charges in June after a general election.

Prosecutors in Milan said last week they had requested that the Italian premier and David Mills be indicted.

Berlusconi is accused of ordering the payment in 1997 of at least €500,000 to Mills in exchange for the lawyer’s false testimony in two trials against Berlusconi. Both men deny the allegations.

Milan Judge Fabio Paparella said he scheduled a preliminary hearing for June 5. However, the hearing is not expected to yield a decision on the indictment as it will be largely devoted to procedural matters, said Niccolo Ghedini, a lawyer for Berlusconi.

Berlusconi, who has a long history of legal woes, contends that the Italian judiciary is politically motivated against him.

After the latest indictment request came in last week, his aides accused the Milan prosecutors of trying to influence national elections that are just a month away, on April 9-10.