Italian prosecutor calls for ‘seriously ill’ Berlusconi’s bribery trial to be temporarily suspended
May 19, 2021
A prosecutor in Milan has asked the court to postponed former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s trial on allegations of bribing witnesses in an underage prostitution case until he has recovered from “a serious disease.”
The former leader of Italy has been repeatedly admitted for hospital treatment since he was infected with coronavirus in September 2020, forcing him to be absent for parts of his trial in a Milan court.
Speaking during a hearing on Wednesday, prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano asked the judge to suspend proceedings against Berlusconi while he is “seriously ill and is suffering from a serious disease,” citing medical certificates produced by the political figure’s team.
Berlusconi left San Raffaele Hospital in Milan on Saturday after being treated for five days, marking the fifth time he’s been admitted to a medical facility since January. His lawyer confirmed to reporters that doctors “are worried” about the health of the former PM, who is now “being looked after at home.”
Alongside several other people, Berlusconi is facing charges of witness tampering and false testimony. The claims center around allegations that the former premier attempted to bribe and silence witnesses who could provide testimony about his so-called ‘bunga-bunga’ parties.
Still the leader of the opposition Forza Italia party, he has repeatedly denied the charges, accusing prosecutors of being politically motivated.
The judge will decide whether to suspend Berlusconi’s participation in the trial on May 26 when ruling on the question of whether the former prime minister’s trial should be split from the other defendants for the remainder of the case.
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