The judges of the Appeal Court in Milan gathered this morning at ten in closed session and then came out at 14 with the confirmation of the first degree conviction of four years and six months to the English lawyer David Mills for corruption in judicial acts. Mills had lied to judges in Milan to help the premier Silvio Berlusconi.
The English lawyer is co-defendant with Silvio Berlusconi for corruption in judicial processes in the All Iberian and Guardia di Finanza case. The trial arrived to an end only for Mills because, after the approval of the "lodo Alfano" it had been suspended the case on Italian premier. So, on February 17, the British lawyer was condemned and only in May the judges said why. "Mills acted certainly as false witness" said the sentence. Mills would had bear false witness "to allow Silvio Berlusconi and Fininvest impunity from charges or at least maintaining the huge profits made through the completion of corporate transactions and financial crimes."
In exchange for false testimony, Silvio Berlusconi send $ 600,000 to Mills in 1998. Money that had been used to buy his silence about two offshore companies which, according to the prosecutor, would be used by Mediaset to create slush funds.
And it is precisely on the date of corruption that prosecutor and defence are facing each other. According to Mills' lawyers, it would had take place in 1998 while according to the prosecutor took place two years later, in 2000. These details are very important, because the italian statute of limitation is triggered after ten years and then, if the date confirmed will be 1998, then the process that will begin on November 16 against the Prime Minister (after the rejection of the Lodo Alfano by the Consulta) should consider a crime that would be filed in a few months.
Berlusconi said the verdict against Mills is "scandalous", but until now he hasn't made new statements. He is sick, probably a victim of scarlet fever contracted by his grandchildren, official sources said. Or maybe it's a ploy to avoid the European Council of next days (where he should have probably faced many questions about the new ruling on Mills) and to avoid the debate in the Italian parliament.
Mills was bribed by Berlusconi
Mills loses bribery case appeal from BBC news
Marianna Lepore
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