Thursday, 7 March 2013

Berlusconi sentenced to 1 year behind bars in wiretap trial

Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to one year in jail after a wiretap trial linked to a 2005 banking scandal.

The ex-premier is accused of violating secrecy laws after making public a police wiretap concerning his political rival in 2005. They were published in Il Giornale, a newspaper run by his brother, who was also sentenced to over two years and three months in prison. The leaks were about the attempted takeover of BNL bank by insurance giant Unipol.

Berlusconi denied any wrongdoing and may seek an appeal trial, until the end of which he won’t be put into custody.