Italian PM appears in Court on corruption charges

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi made a rare appearance Monday at a court hearing in Milan for a tax fraud case. Prosecutors allege fraud in the sale of Television and film rights by his Mediaset company.

The Italian leader dismissed the case as groundless and denounced what he says are left-leaning magistrates intent on hurting him politically. The case is one of four currently involving Berlusconi. Earlier this year, Italy's Constitutional Court watered down a law introduced by his government that shielded him from prosecution.

James Walston, political scientist and professor of international relations at The American University of Rome pointed out “if the allegations are proved it means that the Prime Minister has been building up slush funds”. Walston also queries whether the trial will even go ahead; “the most likely is that the statue of limitations will come in to play, that is the most important element of that is an amendment in one of the bills before parliament which would give reduced statue of limitations to those over 65 with no previous record. This would apply to Berlusconi, he is over 65 and has never been convicted in any of the previous cases brought against him”. Listen to the full interview with Emer McCarthy: