Italy’s top court upholds Berlusconi’s prison sentence

EuropeItaly's top court upholds Berlusconi’s prison sentence

ROME: Italy’s top court has upheld a prison sentence for former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi over tax evasion.

The ruling by Rome’s Court of Cassation on Thursday rejected Berlusconi’s second and final appeal in his tax fraud case which relates to the purchase of broadcasting rights by his television network Mediaset.

Reports say Berlusconi’s immunity is to be lifted by the Italian Senate for the ruling to take effect.

In October, a lower court sentenced Berlusconi to four years in prison for artificially inflating prices of film distribution rights bought by Mediaset to avoid taxes. However, his sentence was commuted to one year under an amnesty law.

Guglielmo Epifani, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, said the sentence should be “respected, executed and implemented.”

Thursday’s ruling also sent back to the court of appeals another part of the media magnate’s sentence which bars him from holding public office for five years and from managing any company for three years.

“The court annuls the sentence of interdiction from public office and… declares irrevocable all other parts of the sentence,” said judge Antonio Esposito.

Previous charges against Berlusconi included Mafia collusion, false accounting, corruption and bribing police officers and judges.

Berlusconi, who served as the country’s prime minister from 1994 to 2011, resigned in November 2011 after coming under immense pressure to step down for mishandling the Italian economy.

Must read

Recent News

Moscow says it won’t allow US to silence UNSC on Israeli violence against Palestinians Monitoring Desk: Russian envoy in United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that the UN Security Council should bring peace, stability and prosperity to the Middle East and Russia would not allow United States to silence UNSC over the issue of Gaza crisis. According to TASS news Agency, Nebenzya said that Moscow will continue to call for an end to violence against Palestinians and will not allow the US to muzzle the UN Security Council as Washington seeks to support Israel's operation in Gaza. "We will continue to stand firmly for ending violence against the Palestinians. Without a shadow of a doubt, we will continue to expose the abuses and sanctimony with which the US is handling the situation. We will not allow the Americans to gag the entire council with their hands in an effort to encourage further continuation of Israel's ruthless operation," he said in a speech at the Security Council.

Moscow won’t allow the US to silence the UNSC on Israeli violence against Palestinians

0
Monitoring Desk: Russian envoy to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that the UN Security Council should bring peace, stability, and prosperity to the...

From Valdai to Margalla Dialogue —- All roads to Civilisations go through Islamabad

0
By Shazia Anwer CheemaThe emergent realities of global security are fundamentally transforming the frame of references and trajectorial approaches toward them. New security architecture...

12 more men in uniform embraced martyrdom for the motherland in Pakistan

0
Monitoring Desk: 12 more men in uniform embraced martyrdom for the motherland in Pakistan, said Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistan Army.On...
Dr. Attia Anwar

Lifelong learning

0
By Dr. Attia AnwarAs we age, our minds and mental health become more important. We should try to maintain and improve them. Education is...
12th Defense Expo 'Ideas 2024' 'Weapons for Peace' a major step in defense diplomacy

12th Defense Expo ‘Ideas 2024’ ‘Weapons for Peace’ a major step in defense diplomacy

0
By Asghar Ali MubarakIdeas 2024, the global exhibition of defense equipment, will begin today at the Karachi Expo Center on November 19, in which...
Advertisement