Mafia witness 'boasted of links to Silvio Berlusconi'

[formercia]

Source: BBC




A court in the Italian city of Turin has heard an allegation that a Sicilian Mafia boss convicted of 1990s bombings boasted of ties to Silvio Berlusconi.

Mafia informant Gaspare Spatuzza was giving evidence at the appeals trial of Marcello Dell'Utri, a co-founder of the Italian prime minister's party.

He said the Mafia boss had claimed to have Mr Berlusconi's support.

A spokesman for Mr Berlusconi, who denies the allegations, suggested the Mafia was trying to discredit the PM.

Mr Spatuzza, a prosecution witness, gave evidence from behind a screen in the courtroom, surrounded by several bodyguards.

Ten people were killed and dozens were injured in the 1993 attacks.

--snip--



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8395280.stm

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Surprise, surprise. Shades of GLADIO.

[closeupready]

1. yeah. I was going to say, and we should be surprised because....?

;)

[formercia]

2. Because it took this long to get out.

Most of the big shot Mafia in Italy are KOM, so is Silvio. One degree of separation.

[smirkymonkey]

3. I'm shocked. Absolutely shocked.

[autorank]

4. More like "the PM is a discredit to the Mafia";)

Berlusconi commits wholesale fraud. He's a mennace. Lets see? Who could be behind this?

[formercia]

5. Silvio thinks he's untouchable, being one of the 'boys.'

Funny, that's what Michelle Obama thought too.



No hug for you, you little toad.

[discocrisco01]

6. Berlusconi accused by mafia hitman

Source: Financial Times

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s centre-right prime minister, has been named in court by a convicted killer as having links to Sicily’s Cosa Nostra mafia in the midst of a bombing campaign carried out by the mob in the early 1990s.

Gaspare Spatuzza, a Sicilian mobster who is cooperating with anti-mafia prosecutors, made the allegations against Mr Berlusconi while testifying in a high-security Turin court where Marcello Dell’Utri, a senator and close associate of the prime minister, was appealing against a nine-year jail sentence imposed for mafia association.

EDITOR’S CHOICE
Berlusconi seeks law to restore his immunity - Nov-27Rome rethink on US ID card suppliers - Nov-27Brazil court rules to extradite former Italian guerrilla - Nov-19Tax spat freezes Italian-Swiss talks - Nov-01Italy calls for Swiss calm after bank raids - Oct-30Italian police in tax raid on Swiss banks - Oct-28Mr Spatuzza testified that Giuseppe Graviano, a mafia clan leader later convicted for involvement in the bombings, had told him that Mr Berlusconi and Mr Dell’Utri had given “everything” he wanted.

“Thanks to the seriousness of these people, they have practically put the country in our hands,” Mr Spatuzza quoted Mr Graviano as saying. His allegations were broadcast live on television.

Mr Berlusconi, 73, and Mr Dell’Utri both strongly denied having any links to the mafia or to the Graviano family after Mr Spatuzza made the same allegations in depositions to prosecutors that were reported by the media last month.


Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5b5c593a-e0d5-11de-9f58-00144feab49a.html?catid=75&SID=google