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ITALY: FORMER PRIME MINISTER, BERLUSCONI, ON TRIAL November 21, 2006
Zainab Osman
(SomaliNet) Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is facing a trial over a corporate fraud charge. The case throws a spotlight on Italy's richest man, seven months after voters ousted him from office.
Berlusconi, who has kept a relatively low profile since he lost elections to Romano Prodi in April, is charged with fraud at broadcaster Mediaset, which his family controls.
Prosecutors say a US firm sold TV rights to two offshore companies controlled by Berlusconi, which in turn sold the rights to Mediaset at an inflated price to avoid Italian taxes and create a slush fund. Berlusconi has denied wrongdoing and accused foes of bringing spurious charges against him for political gain.
He was sentenced to jail for false bookkeeping at a film production company and for paying bribes to tax inspectors, but was later acquitted on appeal. Berlusconi is not expected to attend the opening sessions of the trial, which will likely last months if not years.