Posted on 10/26/2012 8:04:00 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to 4 years in jail for tax evasion by a Milan court, according to Reuters.
The case revolved around a plan by Berlusconi's Mediaset company to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television networks.
The defendants allegedly used a series of offshore companies to avoid paying taxes. The price of the films was then inflated as they were sold internally. The difference was pocketed by the defendants, and reportedly amounted to 250 million euros ($320 million).
One of his codefendents, Mediaset chairman Fedele Confalonieri, was found not guilty.
Berlusconi has also been banned from politics for 3 years. Earlier this week he announced he was not planning to run in next year's election, a move that now looks prescient.
The case against him and 10 others had begun in 2006, but had been delayed while he was Prime Minister due to immunity laws. He is widely expected to appeal the verdict — he has the right to two appeals, according to Reuters, and will not serve jail time until the appeals are complete.
Legal experts told Bloomberg they doubted he would serve any jail time at all due to Berlusconi's age (76) and the risk of the statute of limitations running out.
This isn't Berlusconi's only legal woes of course; another Milan court is dealing with the accusations he had sexual relations with an underage prostitute.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Tax evasion in Italy is like eating Pasta - everyone does it.
You want lots of sex, Silvio? You’ll have tons now!!
Sentenced to jail for 4 years.
Must stay out of politics for 3 years.
Gotta love Italians.
Was he directly involved in this plot? Does he actually run the company while he is PM? That is strange, maybe they need blind trusts.
4 years probably means 15 months with time off for good behavior and all that
Bunga Bunga parties aren’t going to be as much fun now Silvio.....
Let’s be honest about what this really is: punishment for not allowing the German-European Empire to take over his country on his watch.
Wait for them to do this to a socialist.
this from a country who convicts scientists of failure to predict earthquakes...
are they on crack?
Oh, please, let that happen here.
The thought of 0bama and his many enablers in jail is so sweet!
This is another example of how judges make politics here in Italy.
Berlusconi was just a rich and successful businesman till he decided to get into politics in 1994.
Since then, regardless of the fact that he was the premier or the leader of the opposition, he had at least a new court case every year. It was always sentenced not guilty in the end but few times he was candemned first and then vindicated in the appeal (Like Amanda Knox, ring any bell?).
But what’s more important italian liberal media like “La Repubblica” had the chance to keeps his trials in the headlines the whole time. That’s the way it works.
Just yesterday Berlusconi annunced he won’t run in the 2013 election. Probably the judges didn’t bother to change the sentence, the appeal court will take care of it (sarcasm).
say Hi to the quake officials.
Exactly right. Its not as if this mud will not stick to Berlusoni - it will - its just that there is so much mud stuck to the faces of so many politicians out there it doesnt really make much difference.
Hes not in jail yet, and in fact I personally doubt he ever will be. There are innumerable appeals to go.
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