Italian prosecution calls for verdict against former prime minister before charges expire over alleged bribery of British lawyer,,,,,Silvio Berlusconi has several cases pending in the Milan courts. Italy's statute of limitations means some of the charges against him will expire soon. Photograph: Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images
Italian prosecutors have demanded a five-year prison sentence for the former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in his trial on corruption charges.
The prosecutor Fabio De Pasquale has urged the court to find Berlusconi guilty of having paid a British lawyer $600,000 (£382,000) to lie in other trials involving charges of tax evasion and false accounting related to the billionaire media mogul's business dealings.
The court is racing towards a verdict before the charges expire under Italy's statute of limitations. De Pasquale calculated that would happen by mid-July.
The case is one of several pending against Berlusconi in the Milan courts, including a trial on charges of having paid for sex with an underage prostitute.
Berlusconi stepped down as prime minister in November after failing to persuade investors he could revive the ailing economy.
The prosecutor Fabio De Pasquale has urged the court to find Berlusconi guilty of having paid a British lawyer $600,000 (£382,000) to lie in other trials involving charges of tax evasion and false accounting related to the billionaire media mogul's business dealings.
The court is racing towards a verdict before the charges expire under Italy's statute of limitations. De Pasquale calculated that would happen by mid-July.
The case is one of several pending against Berlusconi in the Milan courts, including a trial on charges of having paid for sex with an underage prostitute.
Berlusconi stepped down as prime minister in November after failing to persuade investors he could revive the ailing economy.