Court to hold hearing on Berlusconi

An Italian court will hold a hearing in October to see if Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should stand trial for tax fraud in addition to three other trials which already see him as defendant. "The hearing will start on October 18 in a tax fraud inquiry involving television distribution rights by one of PM Berlusconi 's companies," AFP quoted Maria Vicidomini, a preliminary investigations judge in Milan, as saying on Tuesday. The 74-year-old prime minister is suspected along with eleven others including his son Pier Silvio and his long-time confidant, Fedele Confalonieri, who is also the chairman of Berlusconi's business empire Mediaset. With the media tycoon being accused of tax fraud and embezzlement, his lawyers' requests are based on the assumption that neither of the charges stand or that, otherwise, Berlusconi was not a party to them. Berlusconi has been also indicted to stand trial on charges of paying for sex with an under-age prostitute and abuse of power. Lawyers Niccolo' Ghedini and Piero Longo also raised several objections to the prosecution's case, ultimately requesting that the trial be moved to Rome. Berlusconi told a local newspaper on July 8 that he would not run again when his term finishes in 2013 and named justice minister as his successor.