Last Saturday Berluska’s company Finnivest received a court order to pay out 560 million euro in compensation to his arch enemy, Carlo de Benedetti. In the court of Appeals he was found ‘jointly responsible’ for having corrupted judges, back in 1991, to rule in his favour during a struggle to gain control of Mondadori, Italy’s biggest publishing house. Silvio usually has lots of sneaky moves ready to avoid trial but this time they got him good and propper… and 560 million euro is a lot of money even for Berlusconi!!!
Although is daughter, Marina Berlusconi who is the president of Finnivest, has been making lots of high-heeled song and dance about the whole thing, the man himself remains silent. He’s the Prime Minister, he’s been charged with very big corruption and he’s just skulking in the shadows. As well as this the Italian economy appears to be crumbling round everyone’s ankles and the country on the verge of bankruptcy. Various MPs and MPs' consultants are being very blasé over accusations of involvement in mafia scandals and Naples is sinking into the pits of the world under thousands of tons of rubbish. Berlusconi? Skulk… skulk… skulk… (bunga bunga) … skulk.
Many people think that this trial, which started just before he decided to go into politics and was just doing money, is the reason that he did (go into politics). And it does have to be said that many a law since then has been peculiarly effective in getting him off the hook. Makes you wonder.
Anyway that was just a little update. I shall keep you posted. By the way the lady in the photo is Marina B (exactly 2 months older than me I discovered!)