The news is just breaking and i don't have details but doubters can check cnn.com to confirm.

Silvio Berlusconi is to serve a 4-year jail term for tax frau.

Question is, can Nigeria as a nation learn from this?

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has survived political, corruption and sex scandals over the years, but on Friday, a Milan court sentenced the flamboyant politician to four years in prison for tax evasion.

Berlusconi, who is likely to appeal, called it an "unacceptable political sentence" in an interview that aired on CNN affiliate TGCOM24.

"I was convinced that I would get acquitted of an accusation that is far from the truth," he said. "This is a conviction I can easily define as political, incredible and even intolerable."

He added: "I'm a victim of judicial harassment."

His trial, which also involved executives from Berlusconi's Mediaset television group and the head of a Swiss bank, concerned the purchase of TV rights for films that were then resold within the group at inflated prices.

Prosecutors said the scheme, involving about 3,000 American films, allowed those involved to avoid a major tax bill. They may have to pay a fine of up to €10 million ($12.9 million) if the court's ruling is upheld.

Under the Italian legal system, Berlusconi and his fellow defendants have the right to appeal their sentence twice, in the appeals court and a higher court.

Also, because the case dates to July 2006, the statute of limitations will expire next year, meaning there is a good chance none of the defendants will serve any prison time.

, 76, resigned as prime minister in November amid his country's debt crisis, bringing to an apparent end an 18-year era in which he dominated Italian politics.

Through the years, he was accused of embezzlement, fraud and bribery, but he was never convicted until the tax evasion case.

He also faces trial on charges that he hired an underage prostitute and later tried to pull strings to get her out of jail when she was accused of theft.

The woman involved in the long-running case is the Moroccan dancer Karima el Mahroug, nicknamed "Ruby the Heart-stealer."

American movie star George Clooney had been expected to appear Friday as a defense witness in that case but did not show up. The actor's representative said he would not be serving as a witness for Berlusconi.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/26/world/europe/italy-berlusconi-convicted/index.html?hpt=ieu_c1

Funny how the mighty have fallen, thought Berlusconi
was once untouchable.

Strange times indeed!

Keenly watching development

Read the news very well before posting poster its 1 year and he has to appeal before going to jail

@holy-pagan,read d 1st paragraph very well.
We'll get there 1day,hopefully.

holly-pagan:
Read the news very well before posting poster its 1 year and he has to appeal before going to jail

Tell him ooohhh before his kind joins up the topic and begin to spew....complete the rest if you so sure of what i wanted to say.

How can a competent court of law pass a judgement for a four year jail term and after one hour it's been reduced to one year with the conditions for reducing it to one year totally unimaginable ....can anyone tell me the difference between this judgement and that of mrs Cecilia Ibru who stoled us blind but was treated with kids gloves and spent all her jail time in redington hospital in VI all in the name of ill health....if you ask me ,my take on this:corruption is everywhere it all depends on how well it's been managed, always fooling the people,the only diff. between them and our govt is that ,our govt is doing it and shoving down our throat because we are too divided and polarized on Ethnicity,Religion and Region.

We need people lik dose lawyers 2 bring our politicians 2 book

Gentle Naaz: We need people lik dose lawyers 2 bring our politicians 2 book

The people that brought him to justice are not called lawyers ,they are called prosecutors...go read up something bro.

if u re into sportbetting visit betagist..com for your daily picks its free.......note he buys the pick from a link in europe but he is giving them out free cos he want is blog to grow try them and see, i know him one on one, he makes his living from sport betting

Truckpusher: The people that brought him to justice are not called lawyers ,they are called prosecutors...go read up something bro.

You can't be a prosecutor without being a lawyer. A prosecutor works for the state with the task of trying to convince judges or juries that suspected offenders should be convicted. Defence lawyers or attorneys do the opposite.

Pity

This couldn't have come at a much worse time for AC Milan. Na wa o!

maclatunji:

You can't be a prosecutor without being a lawyer. A prosecutor works for the state with the task of trying to convince judges or juries that suspected offenders should be convicted. Defence lawyers or attorneys do the opposite.

I know that you can't be a prosecutor without being a lawyer,but when you talk about the people that has the responsibility to bring a suspect to justice ,they are no longer referred to as lawyers in discharging their duties but prosecutors and if i may follow your line of argument calling the opposite of prosecutors, "defense lawyers or attorneys" which is very correct,Then should the former which is the subject issue be called prosecutor lawyers

holly-pagan:
Read the news very well before posting poster its 1 year and he has to appeal before going to jail

Perhaps you didn't take time to read my post before passing your judgement. The story was posted when it was breaking and was not reported in details. The one year jail agreement was an aftermath. Pls, always take time to read thru before critcising.

Truckpusher: Tell him ooohhh before his kind joins up the topic and begin to spew....complete the rest if you so sure of what i wanted to say.

another breed of 'quick to kill' smh...

maclatunji:

You can't be a prosecutor without being a lawyer. A prosecutor works for the state with the task of trying to convince judges or juries that suspected offenders should be convicted. Defence lawyers or attorneys do the opposite.

Thank u jare.People just jump 2 correct others and then show their ignorance.

Berlusconi! I used to think he was untouchable

Tell me something the real mafian of italy jailed?ok,i guess our nigerian judges will b brave enough to pass judgement without being sentiment on our past presidents to let them realize level of corruption,indiscipline,etc while on top of affairs.great berlusconi sorry oh! *brushing my hair *

omodapson:

Perhaps you didn't take time to read my post before passing your judgement. The story was posted when it was breaking and was not reported in details. The one year jail agreement was an aftermath. Pls, always take time to read thru before critcising.

i forgot u guys got the news this morning but mine was yester night but dnt always read the headline of breaking news try to screw it down

Two criminals are still on the loose ,they are two former french presidents.
Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy for having conspired to kill thousands of ivorians on purpose to
put in power Dramane Ouattara in Cote d'ivoire.
Chirac was even convicted in France for fraud (paying city employees for jobs they never held at the Mairie de Paris when he was mayor of Paris.)

1) Chirac the villain
http://www.france24.com/en/20111215-chirac-france-trial-corruption-president-mayor-france-embezzlement-guilty

2) Sarkozy from murder in Africa to campaign fraud in France http://article.wn.com/view/2012/07/04/Nicolas_Sarkozy_knew_police_would_come_looking_for_him/

HA! He has landed in kenya for holiday. .