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Italian Senate panel to decide Berlusconi's fate Italian Senate panel recommends Berlusconi expulsion
(about 2 hours later)
A cross-party panel of the Italian Senate has gathered to decide whether to expel Silvio Berlusconi over his conviction for tax fraud. A cross-party panel of the Italian Senate has recommended the expulsion from the chamber of Silvio Berlusconi over his conviction for tax fraud.
The former prime minister, who dominated the country's politics for nearly two decades, is expected to lose his seat in the Senate. The call to expel the ex-prime minister, who dominated politics for nearly two decades in Italy, will now go before the Senate for a full vote.
He threatened to topple the coalition government over the issue but backed down during a confidence vote. Berlusconi threatened to topple the coalition government over the issue but backed down during a confidence vote.
If the panel votes against him, a full vote will be held in the Senate itself. He accused the Senate panel of bias and stayed away from its deliberations.
The media tycoon was convicted of tax fraud in October 2012 over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films. The sentence was upheld in August.The media tycoon was convicted of tax fraud in October 2012 over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films. The sentence was upheld in August.
The threat to Prime Minister Enrico Letta's fragile coalition alarmed political leaders and markets alike in the eurozone, where Italy has the third-biggest economy and is struggling to address a huge national debt.The threat to Prime Minister Enrico Letta's fragile coalition alarmed political leaders and markets alike in the eurozone, where Italy has the third-biggest economy and is struggling to address a huge national debt.
Weakened figureWeakened figure
Berlusconi stayed away when the panel held its first deliberations on Friday morning. The panel later retired to consider its vote behind closed doors. Berlusconi dismissed the panel as biased against him.
One member, Benedetto della Vedova, said many of the arguments had been discussed previously. "There is no possibility of any defence and there is no reason to appear before a body which has already announced what decision it is going to take through the press," he said in a statement issued through his lawyers.
"No, there is no result yet," he said. "For the moment, in the notes presented by Berlusconi, there are no new arguments in regards to what we've seen before, but something new could happen today."
Berlusconi dismissed the panel as biased against him. "There is no possibility of any defence and there is no reason to appear before a body which has already announced what decision it is going to take through the press," he said in a statement issued through his lawyers.
Representatives of both Prime Minister Letta's centre-left Democratic Party and Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party sit on the 23-strong Senate committee on elections and parliamentary immunity.Representatives of both Prime Minister Letta's centre-left Democratic Party and Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party sit on the 23-strong Senate committee on elections and parliamentary immunity.
However, PdL members make up just over a quarter of the total.However, PdL members make up just over a quarter of the total.
Berlusconi emerged from Wednesday's confidence vote a weakened figure with his capacity to influence Italian politics diminished, the BBC's Alan Johnston reported.Berlusconi emerged from Wednesday's confidence vote a weakened figure with his capacity to influence Italian politics diminished, the BBC's Alan Johnston reported.
Ousted from power in 2011, the 77-year-old billionaire nearly came back again earlier this year after an effective election campaign won him almost a third of the vote but legal troubles quickly beset him.Ousted from power in 2011, the 77-year-old billionaire nearly came back again earlier this year after an effective election campaign won him almost a third of the vote but legal troubles quickly beset him.
He will have to serve a one-year sentence for his tax conviction, probably under house arrest or via community service because of his age.He will have to serve a one-year sentence for his tax conviction, probably under house arrest or via community service because of his age.
In addition, he has been convicted of paying for sex with an underage prostitute and of a breach of confidentiality over a police wiretap. He is appealing against both convictions.In addition, he has been convicted of paying for sex with an underage prostitute and of a breach of confidentiality over a police wiretap. He is appealing against both convictions.