Italian PM Berlusconi acquitted of bribing judges

Milan, Apr 28: A Milan appeals court acquitted former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in a corruption case today, upholding an earlier acquittal in one of several cases faced by Italy's richest man.

''The crime does not exist and he did not commit the crime,'' the presiding judge said.

In March, prosecutor Piero De Petris had asked for a 5-year jail sentence for the media magnate, accused of bribing judges.

''It was time for justice to be done. I have been waiting for 12 years for this moment. I had had enough of it,'' Italian news agency Ansa quoted Berlusconi as saying.

Berlusconi, owner of broadcaster Mediaset , was first acquitted in 2004. A law introduced by his government meant he could not be re-tried but it was ruled unconstitutional earlier this year, giving prosecutors a green light to proceed.

Berlusconi, head of the centre-right opposition, was accused of bribing judges to stop the sale of food group SME to a rival businessman in the 1980s. He had called the accusations against him ''completely unfounded''.

Prosecutors may appeal the decision.

Berlusconi has fought several legal battles since he launched himself into politics in 1994.

In a trial under way in Milan he is accused of paying British lawyer David Mills a 600,000 dollar kickback in 2000 for withholding incriminating details about him.

Berlusconi and Mills, the estranged husband of British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, have both denied any wrongdoing.

Reuters >