Berlusconi: new trial for bribing senators, in quite a few occasions

Wednesday, 12 February 2014. A new investigation began today in Naples, regarding a few circumstances in which Berlusconi might gave offered money and other benefits to senators who would cast a favourable vote for the ex-prime minister.

Corruption what? 

There were a few situations in which Italian senators from a number of political sides took a last minute decision and turned against the will of their parties and voted in favour of Mr Berlusconi, and these circumstances sounded a bit fishy to some judges in Naples, who decided to investigate them. At least that's what we've learned from the news.

All this could cause new headaches to the former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has already been sentenced for tax fraud, is currently appealing against a prison sentence for having sex with an under-age prostitute and abuse of office (and the proceedings are now contiuing on the grouds that witnesses might have been bribed by Berlusconi), and was kicked out of the Senate of Italy (due to the first conviction).


The Italian law enforcement agency's officers (in Italian Guardie di Finanza) have acquired a the list of MPs whose vote appeared to be at odd with the indication of their party.

What are those cases?

Well, there was a confidence vote on 14 December 2010, for instance, where everybody was pretty sure Berlusconi's government was going to crash, but surprisingly it did not happen, a no confidence vote was rejected in the House by 314 votes against 311. 

The investigation would focus on the decisive role of four members of FLI (Future and Freedom for Italy, i.e. Futuro e Libertà per l'Italia) - quoted by Corriere della Sera and Repubblica - who sided in favour of The Knight and against the indications of their group, led by Gianfranco Fini. They were all (allegedly) rewarded somehow: Catia Polidori, became Secretary for Development, Maria Grazia Siliquini, was then appointed to the Board of Directors of the Italian Postal Services, Giampiero Catone got a post as under-secretary for the environment, and Silvano Moffa picked as president-elect of the Committee on Labour of the House.

In February 2011 the vote of three politicians stopped a search warrant in relation with the sex scandal (also called the Ruby-case).

On 5 April 2011 there was another “incident”, when a jurisdictional dispute was raised in the Chamber of Deputies to the Constitutional Court – again on the Ruby case -, and three MPs helped Berlusconi out.

Amongst the witnesses of the new proceedings there is Sergio De Gregorio, who took a couple of millions of euro from Mr Berlusconi, as he switched side.

A new thunderstorm is coming Berlusconi's way? That was what he might have been thinking when the photo at the beginning of the post was taken...