David Mills escapes jail term over Berlusconi bribe

LONDON - Italy’s top appeals court has thrown out a case against David Mills, the British lawyer convicted of accepting a bribe from Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

The decision of the nine-man Court of Cassation came after a prosecutor told judges that the charges against Mills should be dropped because the case had expired under Italy’s statute of limitations. However, the court asked Mills to pay 220,000pounds to the Italian state for “damaging” its image.

According to the prosecution the payment of 390,000pounds took place in 1999, but the defence argued that “gift” money was transferred a year later, when Mills drew on the funds and used them for a mortgage. Charges in bribery cases drop after ten years.

The ruling means that a related corruption case against Berlusconi, which was slated to resume tomorrow, will almost certainly run out of time.

Mills, 65, was found guilty last year of taking a 600,000dollars bribe from Berlusconi in return for giving false testimony on the Prime Minister’s behalf in corruption trials in the 1990s. He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison but has never been imprisoned. Both men have always rubbished the charges.

The case against Berlusconi for giving the bribe was resumed after his immunity from prosecution was declared unconstitutional last year. He faces two cases, one for allegedly bribing Mills and a second for alleged tax fraud involving his Mediaset television company.

“I am very relieved that this saga has finally now come to an end and happy to be able to get back to a normal life again,” Times Online quoted Mills, as saying.

However, opposition politicians are unhappy over the verdict.

Massimo Donadi, an opposition MP, said: “The expiration of the statute of limitations does not erase the crime. This verdict is a moral conviction for the Prime Minister. The corruption happened and in a civilised country the Prime Minister would have stepped down.” (ANI)