Berlusconi trial set to be halted

ROME, Italy (AP) -- A measure to suspend Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's corruption trial is quickly nearing approval despite protests by opposition politicians who accuse Berlusconi of using public office to protect his private interests.

An amendment mandating the suspension for a year of trials for alleged crimes committed before mid-2002 was inserted in a wider anti-crime package and swiftly approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

Most lawmakers in the center-left opposition walked out in protest and the association of Italy's magistrates warned that the measure could affect up to 100,000 trials for crimes ranging from fraud to rape.

Critics have dubbed the legislation a "premier-saving" measure, but Berlusconi has said it is necessary to ease the pressure on a clogged judiciary system, which can take years to complete a trial, and to push magistrates to concentrate on more serious and recent offenses.

The measure contains exceptions, such as for violent or Mafia-related offenses or when the crimes are punishable by prison terms of 10 years or more.

But the amendment would cover a trial in Milan where Berlusconi is accused of ordering payment in 1997 of at least $600,000 to his co-defendant, British lawyer David Mills, in exchange for false testimony in two Berlusconi trials in the 1990s. Berlusconi and Mills deny the charges.

The case is the latest stemming from Berlusconi's business empire, and Italian media have reported that a verdict in the trial, which began in March 2007, is near.

In previous trials, Berlusconi has either been acquitted or seen the statute of limitations expire. The media mogul-turned-politician has claimed he is being persecuted by left-leaning magistrates.

As it became clear that the Senate would pass the amendment on the suspension, Emma Bonino, a leading lawmaker in the center-left, called the decision "a dark page in the history of the republic."

The magistrates' association said in a statement that the reasons for the suspension were "incomprehensible" and warned it would create further chaos and delays in the trial system.

Justice Minister Angelino Alfano defended the move in an interview published Thursday in La Repubblica newspaper.

"Instead of following half-abandoned trials, it's more important to ensure justice for more serious crimes committed more recently," he said.

The measure has taken an uncharacteristically speedy path in Parliament, where laws often require months to secure passage. Following Wednesday's vote on the amendment, the Senate is scheduled to approve the entire anti-crime package on Tuesday.

The bill will then be submitted to the lower chamber, where opposition leaders have pledged to try to bog it down with filibustering maneuvers.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

All About Italy • Silvio Berlusconi