ROME (AA) - Italian Supreme Court of Cassation upheld on Thursday the four-year conviction against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax-fraud in his Mediaset trial.
Convicted of leading a system of inflated film-rights purchases at his Mediaset media empire and using offshore companies to create slush funds, which enabled his company to dodge taxes on around 7 million euros in 2002 and 2003, Italy's ex-PM Berlusconi for the first time received a definitive conviction over dozens of criminal cases since the Italian media boss began politics two decades ago.
Three years of the sentence proved ineffective because of a 2006 amnesty along with an age exemption.
As he is over 70, the conviction will probably not be served in prison, but he will do social work or house arrest as punishment.
The Italian Supreme Court also suspended a five-year ban on Berlusconi holding public office, since the court verdict will be appealed to the Milan Appeals Court for review.
The upheld-conviction may have impact on Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta's fragile left-right government, needing the support of Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom (PdL) Party to survive.
Speaking in a video message, the three-time Italian premier said his political battles would not come to an end due to Thursday's decision by Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation to uphold a four-year prison term for tax fraud at his media empire.
"We have to continue our battle for freedom by staying in on the (political) field," said Berlusconi.
He stressed that his People of Freedom (PdL) party would do this under its former name, Forza Italia, to harvest the "best young people and the best energies".
"We'll tell the Italians to give us back the (governing) majority to modernise the country, starting from the most indispensable, the justice system, to prevent a citizen being deprived of his freedom," noted the 76 year-old media boss.
He rejected any alleged tax fraud, telling the Italian people to "open their eyes the next time they vote".
Berlusconi's PdL is currently in an alliance with its long-standing foes in the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), supporting Letta's government after February's general election failed to produce a certain winner.
He stated that the verdict showed he had been the victim of an "unequalled judicial attack" by left-wing magistrates who he claims have been targeting him since he embarked on a political career two decades ago.
Berlusconi argued that the verdict confirmed his view that "an irresponsible part of the judiciary" had "permanently conditioned" Italy's political life.
"What is my prize after 20 years of commitment (to public life)? Accusations based on nothing and a sentence that takes away my liberty and political freedoms," concluded Berlusconi.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
