Berlusconi political justice probe warranted-justice chair

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 18 - A probe into possible politicised use of the justice system against former premier Silvio Berlusconi could be warranted especially in light of the 'Palamara affair' of cronyism and corruption in Italy's politicised judiciary, Senate justice committee chair Giulia Bongiorno, the media magnate's former defence minister and one of Italy's top lawyers, said after the three-time ex-premier was acquitted in one strand of the 'Ruby#3' bunga bunga witness suborning case on Thursday.
    On Thursday night Berlusconi, 85, was cleared of bribing musician and friend Mariano Apicella to lie, allegedly like other defendants in other strands of the case, about the true nature of what the billionaire has insisted were "elegant soirées".
    A leading member of Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, House Deputy Speaker Giorgio Mulé, earlier Friday called for a parliamentary commission of inquiry to be set up to weigh whether and how much politically motivated prosecutors persecuted Berlusconi in his many trials, something which he has always maintained.
    Over three decades in political life, the mogul has been on trial on charges ranging from buying judges and Senators to paying for sex with the minor Ruby, but has only once been convicted, of tax evasion, a conviction that kept him out of the Italian parliament from 2013 until the recent general election.
    Berlusconi is still on trial for allegedly bribing other bunga bunga witnesses in the case related to teen Moroccan runaway and exotic dancer Ruby Heartstealer, whose real name is Karima El Mahrough.
    The ex-premier was eventually cleared of paying her for sex when she was underage after judges found he could not have known she was just 17.
    During the case, Berlusconi got his parliamentary majority to back his clam that Ruby was late Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak's niece. (ANSA).