Italy's former premier Silvio Berlusconi has been jailed for four years for tax fraud.

Berlusconi and others were were accused of masterminding a scheme to buy the rights of U.S. movies at inflated prices through two offshore companies under his control.

Berlusconi, however, is expected to appeal.

The conviction was the media mogul's first; other criminal probes and trials had ended in acquittal or were thrown out for statute of limitations.

Earlier in the week, Berlusconi had announced he wouldn't run for a fourth term.

The 76-year-old media mogul wasn't in the courtroom for the verdict on the case stemming from dealings in his Mediaset business empire.

The verdict comes two days after Berlusconi, 76, announced he will not run for premier in upcoming elections.

The three-time premier stepped down last November after Italy came under mounting market pressure to deal with its high debt load and Berlusconi failed to come up with persuasive financial reforms.

Prosecutors allege the defendants were behind a scheme to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television networks through a series of offshore companies and had falsely declared the payments to avoid taxes.

Prosecutors further alleged the inflated the price for the TV rights of some 3,000 films as they relicensed them internally to Berlusconi's networks, pocketing the difference amounting to around €250 million.

Other charges of false accounting and false statements in financial reports were thrown out because the statute of limitations expired.
Dodgy deals: Today's decision brought an end to a trial that centred on a scheme to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television networks

Dodgy deals: Today's decision brought an end to a trial that centred on a scheme to purchase the rights to broadcast U.S. movies on Berlusconi's private television networks

Prosecutors also demanded six years for Paolo Del Bue, a founder of the private Swiss bank Arner, who is accused of money laundering, and three years and eight months for Hollywood producer Frank Agrama.

The trial began in July 2006, but was put on hold by a now-defunct immunity law that shielded the Berlusconi from prosecution while he was premier until it was watered down by the constitutional court. The trial also faced delays as Berlusconi cited conflicts with his schedule as premier.

Berlusconi has been tried numerous times for his business dealings. He has always denied wrongdoing and alleged that the cases were politically motivated. In each case to date, he has been cleared or seen the statute of limitations expire.

The statute of limitations in this case is set to expire sometime next year. In Italy, cases must pass two levels of appeal before the verdicts are final.
Berlusconi also is on trial in Milan on charges of paying for sex with an under-age teenager and trying to cover it up[b][/b][b][/b]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2223603/Silvio-Berlusconi-jailed-years-tax-fraud.html

This can only happen in advanced country.

Why can't this happen in my beloved country where atrocities of greater degree happens every blessed day without questioning?
I look forward where ex-president and governors would face trial and be sentenced without stress or any hindrances from Chop and Chop lawyers.