Trial
Berlusconi skips court
AP
Milan
01/15/2010
Berlusconi said he would attend at a later date when more substantial issues were being discussed.
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi stands accused of bribing a British lawyer to lie, but skipped his appearance at Friday''s corruption trial.
Berlusconi''s lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, said Berlusconi''s presence wasn''t foreseen at Friday''s technical hearing but that Berlusconi would attend when there were issues of substance at hand, starting February 13th.
Berlusconi is accused of ordering the 1997 payment of US$600,000 to lawyer David Mills in exchange for his false testimony at two hearings in other corruption cases. Berlusconi and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is appealing his conviction in the case.
Berlusconi''s portion of the trial resumed after Italy''s Constitutional Court overturned a law sparing Berlusconi from prosecution while in office.
The three-judge panel in Milan suspended the trial again until February 27th, pending a ruling on Mills'' appeal.