Berlusconi sentenced to 4 years in prison

[Ichingcarpenter]

An appeals court has upheld the tax fraud conviction against former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi and sentenced him to four years in prison.

But he could appeal this verdict to a higher court, the Court of Cassation.

In October, a court convicted Berlusconi in a scheme that involved inflating the price his Mediaset media empire paid for TV rights to U.S. movies and pocketing the difference. Berlusconi denied the charges and says he's a victim of politically motivated prosecutors.

That verdict was upheld Wednesday by the appeals court in Milan.

The lower court, which began hearing the case in 2006, also said Berlusconi could not hold public office for five years or manage any company for three years, penalties that would take force only if the conviction is upheld on two levels of appeal.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/05/08/berluscconi-silvio-conviction-sentence.html

[Fumesucker]

1. Can anyone even imagine such a thing happening in the world's greatest democracy?

[Flashmann]

4. Can anyone even imagine such a thing happening in the world's greatest democracy?

I don't know...Maybe.Where would that be?

[Scootaloo]

6. For tax fraud? Sure! Marijuana possession, too

For being personally culpable for thousands upon thousands of human deaths, and millions of displaced and mangled? Not so much, it seems...

[DCKit]

7. Not if you've got the $$$ in the bank or lots of connected friends.

At least not if you haven't ripped off any of your fellow 1%ers.

[marmar]

2. ........

[malaise]

3. Should be sentenced to life

for crimes against humanity

[monmouth3]

5. I read too fast and thought it was "the court of castration." Oh my..n/t

[Quantess]

8. 4 years is better than nothing. (no text)