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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Mills bribery conviction quashed | Mills bribery conviction quashed |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| British tax lawyer David Mills has had his bribery conviction quashed by Italy's top appeals court. | British tax lawyer David Mills has had his bribery conviction quashed by Italy's top appeals court. |
| The judge said the current trial was beyond the 10-year limit for prosecution set by Italian law. | The judge said the current trial was beyond the 10-year limit for prosecution set by Italian law. |
| The estranged husband of UK minister Tessa Jowell was convicted in February 2009 of taking a £400,000 bribe from Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi in 1997. | The estranged husband of UK minister Tessa Jowell was convicted in February 2009 of taking a £400,000 bribe from Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi in 1997. |
| The ruling means a parallel corruption case against Mr Berlusconi could also now be dropped. | The ruling means a parallel corruption case against Mr Berlusconi could also now be dropped. |
| Tax haven | Tax haven |
| Prosecutor Gianfranco Ciani insisted Mills took the bribe, but said the conviction should be overturned because the statute of limitations had expired. | Prosecutor Gianfranco Ciani insisted Mills took the bribe, but said the conviction should be overturned because the statute of limitations had expired. |
| Mills was ordered to pay 250,000 euros (£222,000) to the Italian government for damage to its image. He had faced four-and-a-half years in jail. | Mills was ordered to pay 250,000 euros (£222,000) to the Italian government for damage to its image. He had faced four-and-a-half years in jail. |
| The Cassation Court overturned the verdict after a Milan court rejected an earlier appeal in October against the conviction. | The Cassation Court overturned the verdict after a Milan court rejected an earlier appeal in October against the conviction. |
| Mills, who separated from former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell in 2006, was one of Mr Berlusconi's consultants on offshore tax havens. | Mills, who separated from former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell in 2006, was one of Mr Berlusconi's consultants on offshore tax havens. |
| The Briton's lawyer said: "We are satisfied. This is a decision that recasts the verdict issued by the Milan appeals court." | The Briton's lawyer said: "We are satisfied. This is a decision that recasts the verdict issued by the Milan appeals court." |
| In a statement, Mr Mills said he was "very relieved" by the decision and would now be able to "get back to a normal life". | |
| The prosecution had alleged Mr Berlusconi had paid Mills for not revealing details of offshore companies during two previous trials in 1997 and 1998, in which the lawyer had appeared as an expert witness for the prime minister. | |
| The charges stemmed from a letter Mills sent to a British accountant in 2004, in which he said the £400,000 payment had come from "Mr B". | The charges stemmed from a letter Mills sent to a British accountant in 2004, in which he said the £400,000 payment had come from "Mr B". |
| Mills initially admitted having received money from Mr Berlusconi "in recognition" of the evidence he had given, but later said the money had come from Italian shipping magnate Diego Attanasio. | Mills initially admitted having received money from Mr Berlusconi "in recognition" of the evidence he had given, but later said the money had come from Italian shipping magnate Diego Attanasio. |
| Mr Berlusconi is charged with corrupting Mills, in a parallel trial. | Mr Berlusconi is charged with corrupting Mills, in a parallel trial. |
| Both men denied the charges. | Both men denied the charges. |