Court blocks 10 witnesses in Berlusconi trial

 

An Italian court on Monday excluded 10 witnesses who had been scheduled to testify on behalf of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in his fraud trial, because, judges said, the case needs to wrap up. “This is a trial that risks running past the statute of limitation,” said the head of the Milan court Edoardo D'Avossa, explaining the judges' decision to block the witnesses, none of whom are Italian. The statute of limitations in the fraud case involving Berlusconi's business empire Mediaset could come into force in 2013, according to judicial sources. The trial was suspended in April 2010 after the adoption by Berlusconi's government of a temporary immunity law. It resumed on February 28 after the law was partially scrapped in January. Berlusconi is accused of artificially inflating the price of distribution rights for films bought by television companies belonging to him and then setting up slush funds abroad in order to pay less tax in Italy. All 10 of the excluded witnesses were supposed to testify for the defence, but, according to the documents provided by Berlusconi's own lawyers, none of the prospective witnesses can be found, the judges also noted. Court heard testimony from two witnesses on Monday, then adjourned the case until October 5.