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.
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