Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced in the first instance to three years in prison for corruption. With the same accusation, the same sentence was also inflicted on the former director of Avanti, Valter Lavitola. Both also received an accessory sentence of 5 years of disqualification from holding public office. This was decided by the first section of the Court of Naples. The prosecution had asked for 5 years for Berlusconi and 4 years and 4 months for Lavitola. However, the procedure is destined to become statute-barred in November, unless the former Premier chooses to renounce it.
Berlusconi is accused of having paid three million euros between 2006 and 2008 through Lavitola to the former senator Sergio De Gregorio, elected with Italia dei Valori and then switched to the centre-right, with the aim of sabotaging the Prodi government of the so-called "Operation Freedom".
“I take note of an absurd political sentence at the end of a purely political trial – commented the leader of Forza Italia – built on a laughable accusatory theorem. I remain serene, certain that I have always acted in the interests of my country and in full compliance with the rules and laws, as I will continue to do". Berlusconi also speaks again of "judicial persecution" to undermine his "image as a political protagonist".
On the buying and selling of senators “there were rumors but – is the reaction of former premier Romano Prodi -, but as I told the judge I knew nothing about it. If I had known anything, I would still be prime minister." To those who asked him why he did not appear as a civil party in the trial, the Professor replied: "The damage was not to my person but to democracy".
