Italian Parliament Set to Approve Premier Immunity Bill

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, June 19, 2003

Italian Parliament Set to Approve Premier Immunity Bill

Italian Parliament is set on Wednesday to approve a hotly-contested bill which would freeze a corruption trial against Italy's center-right Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

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Italian Parliament is set on Wednesday to approve a hotly-contested bill which would freeze a corruption trial against Italy's center-right Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

The bill, which has already been approved by the Italian Senateand is expected to get the definitive green light from the ItalianHouse in a vote later Wednesday, would suspend any trials against the country's top five serving institutional figures for the duration of their office.

The trial-suspension measure, embracing the offices of the president, the premier, the two parliamentary speakers and the head of the Constitutional Court, has been rushed through parliament in a near-record time.

The center right is anxious to make the rules effective this month in order to save Berlusconi the embarrassment of a possible conviction during Italy's six-month term as European Union duty presidency, which begins on July 1.

But the opposition decries granting the premier immunity from prosecution as an abuse of power aimed purely at easing Berlusconi's personal legal woes.

It has vowed to overturn the law by public referendum, arguing that it is unconstitutional and marks a return to Italy's corruption-scarred past.

Berlusconi and his former attorney and defense minister Cesare Previti are on trial in Milan accused of judge bribery.

The three-year-old trial is in its closing stages and the prosecution has already recommended sentences of up to 11 years for the premier's eight co-defendants including Previti.

Berlusconi, who is now being tried separately because of his busy political schedule, is charged with bribing a judge to block the 1985 sale of the SME food conglomerate, owned by state holdingcompany IRI, to long-time rival businessman Carlo De Benedetti.

He faces a 3-8 year sentence if convicted but has the right to two appeals.

Berlusconi denies all wrong-doing and insists he and Previti are the victims of judicial persecution by "politicized" magistrates.

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