Italy's Berlusconi in tax fraud scheme as PM, judges say
Source: Reuters
MILAN | Thu May 23, 2013 1:12pm EDT
(Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was involved in a tax fraud scheme while he was head of government, a Milan court said in a document released on Thursday explaining its earlier decision to uphold his four-year conviction.
Berlusconi's mounting legal difficulties have created tension in Italy's fragile coalition government, over which he has veto power, and the tax fraud case is nearing its final appeal with a definitive judgment possible within a year.
On May 8 the appeal court upheld the sentence for tax fraud in connection with the media mogul's television network Mediaset. In the Italian judicial system, courts publish the reasons for their rulings some time after the sentence.
The document released on Thursday said evidence showed Berlusconi managed the scheme, in which he is accused of inflating the price paid for television rights to avoid taxes, for many years including when he was prime minister.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/us-italy-berlusconi-idUSBRE94M0WI20130523