Weekend Economists Go for the Gusto February 24-26, 2012

[Demeter]

45. Berlusconi Victorious: Court Ends Corruption Case

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/25/147406739/berlusconi-victorious-court-ends-corruption-case?ft=1&f=1001

A Milan court ended a corruption trial against Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday, ruling that the statute of limitations had run out on the case and essentially handing Italy's former premier another victory in a long string of judicial woes he has faced. The billionaire media mogul wasn't in court when the three judges read out their verdict after about two hours of deliberation. Defendants in Italy aren't required to attend their trials. Berlusconi had denied any wrongdoing. He was accused of paying a British lawyer David Mills $600,000 to lie during two 1990s trials to shield the politician and his Fininvest holding company from charges related to his business dealings.

Berlusconi's lawyers successfully argued that the case should be thrown out because the statute of limitation had run out. It is "useless to comment," prosecutor Fabio De Pasquale told reporters as he left the courtroom. Prosecutors had demanded conviction and a five-year sentence. One of Berlusconi's lawyers, Piero Longo, indicated that the defense team was less than elated with the decision because it would have preferred a verdict of acquittal, Sky TG24 TV said.

The three-judge panel began its deliberations on Saturday after Berlusconi's defense made its closing statements, arguing that Berlusconi should be cleared of corruption...By prosecutors' calculations, the statute of limitations on Berlusconi's case should have expired by July. Evidently the court didn't agree. But even the prosecutors' time frame would not have allowed for the two levels of appeal required to finalize any verdict. The trial was suspended many times due to Berlusconi's obligations as premier and during a period when parliament had granted him immunity, complicating the calculation. In Italy, the clock on the statute of limitations continues to tick even after a trial begins...

Berlusconi has faced dozens of trials in Milan, mostly for his business dealings. He has either been acquitted or seen the charges expire under the statute of limitations.