Prosecutors ask court to uphold Silvio Berlusconi’s prison term
2 March 2013 5:30 AM IST
Prosecutors in Milan Friday asked an appeals court to uphold a four-year prison sentence handed down to former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud linked to his business empire.
At the appeals trial Friday, the 76-year-old media tycoon proclaimed his innocence in the case.‘I am completely extraneous to the facts that I am accused of,’ Berlusconi told the court. ‘My company group has paid six billion euros in taxes to the Italian state,’ he said.Berlusconi claimed he should have been awarded a gold medal for his Mediaset group’s contribution to the Italian economy. Berlusconi was convicted in October 2012 and sentenced to four years in prison and a five-year ban from holding public office.The case involves a scheme to purchase rights to broadcast US movies on Berlusconi’s private TV networks at inflated prices via a series of offshore companies.
At the appeals trial Friday, the 76-year-old media tycoon proclaimed his innocence in the case.‘I am completely extraneous to the facts that I am accused of,’ Berlusconi told the court. ‘My company group has paid six billion euros in taxes to the Italian state,’ he said.Berlusconi claimed he should have been awarded a gold medal for his Mediaset group’s contribution to the Italian economy. Berlusconi was convicted in October 2012 and sentenced to four years in prison and a five-year ban from holding public office.The case involves a scheme to purchase rights to broadcast US movies on Berlusconi’s private TV networks at inflated prices via a series of offshore companies.
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