EMBATTLED ITALIAN PRIME Minister Silvio Berlusconi has threatened a constitutional war after prosecutors yesterday asked for him to be put on trial for alleged sex-related offences.
Berlusconi accused Milan prosecutors of breaking the law and going against the wishes of parliament, according to The Guardian.
One of his allies, Umberto Bossi of the Italian political party the Northern League, later said the request for indictment was the start of a “total war” between the judiciary and the legislature.
Berlusconi stands accused of paying for sex with a nightclub dancer who was a minor at the time and of abusing his power by asking police to release the girl after she had been arrested for an alleged theft.
The chief prosecutor Edmondo Bruti Liberati said they requested that Berlusconi stand trial without a preliminary hearing because of the “obviousness of the evidence” against him.
An enraged Berlusconi told a press conference in Rome. according to the BBC:
I can only say that it’s a farce. They are accusations without any basis. The only aim of the inquiry is to defame me in the media.
These acts are violating the law and go against parliament, because Milan’s prosecutors have no jurisdiction. It’s shameful and disgusting.
The judge who will determine the case, Cristina Di Censo, is expected to rule early next week on the prosecutors’ application. If it is granted, Berlusconi could stand trial as early as April. A conviction could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
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