ITALIAN PRIME minister Silvio Berlusconi received some rare good news on the judicial front yesterday when a Milan court dismissed charges of tax fraud and embezzlement against him.
While preliminary hearing judge Maria Vicidomini dismissed the charges against the prime minister, she also ruled that the other 11 people on the charge sheet, including Mr Berlusconi’s son Piersilvio, should stand trial in December, on the same charges of tax fraud and embezzlement.
Prosecutors claim that the Berlusconi family TV unit, Mediatrade, acquired Hollywood movie rights at inflated prices via offshore accounts, in order to evade taxes and create a slush fund.
The charges relate to the period 2000-2005 and concern $34 million (€25 million) worth of TV rights purchases. Mr Berlusconi has always dismissed the charges as “totally without foundation”.
Yesterday’s ruling would, however, appear to be only a half-victory for Mr Berlusconi since the judge also felt there remained a serious case against both the chairman and deputy chairman of his TV holding company.
Mr Berlusconi’s senior defence lawyer, Nicola Ghedini, while welcoming yesterday’s ruling, argued that this did not mean that the “climate has changed” with regard to his client, adding: “You’ve just got to look at how the judges have cut back the list of defence witnesses in the Mediaset case.”