Breaking: Italy's Berlesconi Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail (in Mediaset TV Rights Case) [View all]
Source: Sky News
Berlusconi Sentenced To Four Years In Jail
3:26pm UK, Friday 26 October 2012
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud connected to his television channels.
An Italian court delivered the verdict on Friday against the former Italian leader and 10 others in a six-year-old tax fraud trial. He's also been barred from holding political office for three years.
In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before the verdicts are final. Berlusconi is expected to appeal.
The verdict comes two days after Berlusconi, 76, announced he will not run for premier in upcoming elections.
During the trial prosecutors alleged the defendants were behind a scheme to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television networks through a series of offshore companies and had falsely declared the payments to avoid taxes.
Read more: http://news.sky.com/story/1003189/berlusconi-sentenced-to-four-years-in-jail
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