Italy’s ex-PM Berlusconi faces new trial

‘A court in Italy has ordered a new trial for three-time ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi on corruption charges, creating a new obstacle to his bid to return to office.
Milan Judge Carlo Ottone De Marchi scheduled the new trial for Berlusconi on April 5, local media reported on Saturday.
The 80-year-old former Italian statesman allegedly paid as much as 10 million euros and gave expensive gifts to young women to “buy” their silence in various other court cases involving him. The new trial is now aimed at determining whether the payments amounted to hush money and interfered in the other judicial proceedings.
Berlusconi has denied any wronging. One of his lawyers, Federico Cecconi, has said the new prosecution is “the first trial for the crime of generosity.”’
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