Oh No, Silvio!

Berlusconi gets jail sentence in wiretap trial

Oh, no! My hero, and former Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, has been sentenced to jail!

An Italian court sentenced ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday to one year in jail over the publication by his family's newspaper of a transcript of a leaked wiretap connected to a banking scandal in 2006.

Under Italian law, the 76-year-old media billionaire would not have to serve any jail time until the appeals process has been exhausted, and a higher court could overturn the ruling.

However, judicial sources said the charges will expire in mid-September, before an appeal trial can be completed, because of the statute of limitations. So no matter what happens in the appeal, it is unlikely that Berlusconi would serve time in jail.

Ruby "Heart Stealer"

Whew, I was worried for a moment there! A year in jail would certainly slow down the Silvio posts...

Berlusconi is embroiled in a series of trials, with separate cases over charges of tax fraud and paying for sex with an underage prostitute due to wind up this month.

How was he supposed to know she was only 16? A gentlemen never asks...

Following Thursday's verdict, he repeated denials that he was in any way connected with wrongdoing and said the decision showed that politically motivated judges were conducting a campaign against him.

"It is impossible to tolerate judicial persecution of this kind which has been going on for 20 years and which re-emerges every time there are politically complex moments in the political life of our country," he said in a statement.

Barbara Monterale

They hate you because of all your success with the ladies, Silvio. Do you think the judge is getting as much attention from the ladies?

Berlusconi's brother Paolo, publisher of the family-owned Il Giornale daily, was sentenced to two years and three months over the same case, which centered on confidential wiretap transcripts related to a bank takeover which appeared in the newspaper.

The court awarded 80,000 euros ($104,700) in damages to Piero Fassino, who was head of the main center-left party at the time of the incident and whose remarks were picked up on the wiretap and published in the newspaper.

Aida Yspica

Mere pocket change! Pay him double and invite him to your next Bunga Bunga party.

Late on Wednesday, Italy's highest appeals court upheld a ruling clearing Berlusconi of tax fraud in connection with his Mediatrade broadcasting rights firm.

The decision cleared Berlusconi of accusations that Mediatrade, the broadcast rights unit of his Mediaset group, acquired film and television rights at inflated prices to evade 10 million euros in taxes in 2004.

Do you know how many underage hookers you can buy for 10 million euros!  Naw, me neither, but I'll bet Sen. Menendez does.

Allesandra Sorcinelli

His trial on charges of paying for sex with a juvenile prostitute is expected to wind up in coming days while a separate trial over broadcast rights is expected to conclude toward the end of the month.

Berlusconi's lawyers on Thursday asked the Milan court to postpone a hearing in the sex trial scheduled for Friday, saying that the four-time premier could not be present due to "a serious problem with his vision", legal sources said.

Mara Carfagna

 I understand entirely, having gone through several bouts of eye problems this year.  And I'm not 76.  Leave the old boy alone!

Despite his relative success in the election, Berlusconi's prospects of a return to government have been held back by the refusal of center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani to accept a "grand coalition" with his longstanding rivals.

I'm looking forward to further progress of Silvio's, uh, career!

Linked at Proof Positive's "Best of the Web Linkaround." Wombat-Socho at The Other McCain was right on schedule this week with "Rule 5 Sunday: This time It's for Real."