Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has found himself back in the 
spotlight at the start of legal considerations over whether to proceed with a 
charge that he bribed a British lawyer. 
 
 
   Former Italian prime 
 minister Silvio Berlusconi, seen here, has found himself back in the 
 spotlight at the start of legal considerations over whether to proceed 
 with a charge that he bribed a British lawyer. 
 [AFP\File] | 
A court in Milan, led by judge Fabio Paparella. was scheduled to begin its 
hearings into whether there is enough evidence to charge and try the colourful 
69-year-old with corruption over a 600,000-dollar (465,000-euro) payment he made 
to lawyer David Mills.
Prosecutors in Milan formally lodged charges against the two men in March, 
saying that Berlusconi bribed Mills into giving favourable evidence in two 1997 
corruption trials relating to his business dealings.
They claim to have evidence to show that the payment, made in 1997 by 
Berlusconi's family firm Fininvest, served to presuade the lawyer to give false 
evidence.
Berlusconi and Mills both deny the allegations of bribery.
The case has also attracted international attention because Mills is the 
estranged husband of British Culture and Sports Minister Tessa Jowell.
The latest accusation against Berlusconi, that of bribing a witness, is 
linked to an inquiry opened in 2003 into possible tax evasion and 
misappropriation in a sale of film and television rights to the United States.
Prosecutors investigating the allegations suspect legal fees may have been 
inflated artificially, using intermediary organisations, to evade tax.
Following initial hearings, which could take several months to complete, 
judge Paparella will decide whether the prosecutor's office should proceed with 
his case.
Earlier this year Italy's former prime minister accused politically motivated 
magistrates of "plotting" against him and claimed the timing of the 
prosecution's moves was designed to influence the electorate ahead of the polls 
held in April.
"It's absurd that while I work day and night there are public officials 
plotting against the prime minister. It's an infamy," he said.
However, prosecutors denied timing the case to coincide with the election 
campaign, which Berlusconi's centre-right coalition lost, saying they feared the 
case would lapse under Italy's statute of limitations if the charges were not 
brought now.
Berlusconi has already faced trial on eight occasions and been found guilty 
three times, in 1997 and 1998, on charges of corruption, fraud and illegally 
financing political parties, but the verdicts were either overturned on appeal 
or became void because of time limits on prosecution.