Italy's constitutional court strips Berlusconi's immunity

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1504&ncid=1504&e=3&u=/afp/20040113/ts_afp/italy_justice_berlusconi_040113141513

ROME (AFP) - Italy's constitutional court annuled a law that gave Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and four other top Italian leaders immunity from prosecution while in office.


The constitutional court ruled Tuesday that the first article of the law, which allowed the suspension of ongoing trials against the five, even for crimes allegedly committed before taking office, was "illegitimate" and violated the principle of equality among citizens.


As a result of the law a trial was suspended in Milan where Berlusconi faced charges of bribing judges in a 1985 business deal.

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[Dover]

1. Bush and Cheney should have told him how important it was to have

the courts pre-selected before committing crimes.