Italian court opens appeals trial for British lawyer in corruption case involving Berlusconi

Appeals trial for UK lawyer opens in Italy

MILAN — The appeals trial of a British lawyer who has been convicted in a corruption case involving Silvio Berlusconi opened Friday in Milan, with defense lawyers saying they want the Italian premier to testify.

David Mills was found guilty of corruption in February and sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison. He has maintained his innocence and sought the appeal.

Berlusconi was originally a co-defendant in the trial. He was charged with ordering a payment of at least $600,000 to Mills in 1997 in exchange for the lawyer’s false testimony in other corruption cases.

An immunity law froze Berlusconi’s portion of the trial. But the legislation was overturned this week by Italy’s Constitutional Court on grounds that it violated the constitution, paving the way for Berlusconi’s trial to resume.

Federico Cecconi, a lawyer for Mills, said he wants the court to allow Berlusconi to take the witness stand. Berlusconi’s lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, said the premier would be available if the court allows the testimony.

Cecconi also said his client is seeking a “complete revision” of the trial to demonstrate his innocence. Mills, who is free pending the outcome of the appeal, did not attend the opening hearing, according to news reports.

Berlusconi has denied all charges in the case — the latest in a history of legal woes stemming from his business interests in Milan.

The conservative premier insisted Friday that he is the victim of a political vendetta orchestrated by what he said are left-leaning magistrates.

“I am the most persecuted person in the history of the world,” he told reporters in Rome.

The court’s decision on the immunity law has unleashed a furious reaction by Berlusconi, who even threw a sexist comment at a rival female politician during a TV show.

Berlusconi, in a phone call to the show late Wednesday, told Rosy Bindi: “You are always more beautiful than intelligent.” Bindi, a 58-year-old who dresses conservatively, wears glasses and has short, gray hair, is a member of the center-left opposition and a former minister.

Bindi snapped back and said: “I’m not one of the women at your disposal” — a reference to Berlusconi’s purported fondness for young and beautiful women.

Berlusconi has been engulfed in a scandal since last spring, after his wife said she wanted a divorce.

The exchange has made headlines, prompting many women to publicly rally to Bindi’s support and calling for Berlusconi to apologize.