17/02/2009

Mills Sentenced In Italian Bribery Case

The estranged husband of UK minister Tessa Jowell has today been found guilty of accepting bribes from the Italian Prime Minister.

British tax lawyer David Mills has been sentenced to four and a half years for accepting about £400,000 of bribes from Silvio Berlusconi to give false evidence in corruption trials.

He was also ordered to pay £231,000 damages claim brought against the Italian government for causing "moral damage to the office of the Prime Minister".

Mills, 64, has been on trial for three years on the charges.

Mr Berlusconi was originally accused of corruption, however, he denies the claim and was removed from the case after passing a law making himself immune from prosecution.

Mr Mills was one of the Italian PM's consultants on offshore tax havens.

After the verdict, Mills, was not in court, said he would appeal the decision, adding he was "very disappointed" at the sentence delivered in a Milan court.

Prosecutors alleged the 64-year-old used the cash to help pay off a joint mortgage he held with his wife of the time, British Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell.

Mr Mills said in a statement: "I am naturally very disappointed by this verdict.

"I am innocent, but this is a highly political case.

"The judges have not yet given their reasons for their decision, so I cannot say how they dealt with the prosecutor's own admission that he had no proof.

"I am hopeful that the verdict and sentence will be set aside on appeal and am told that I will have excellent grounds, and have every faith in my excellent lawyer, Federico Cecconi.

He concluded: "The sentence does not become effective for any purpose until two levels of appeal have been concluded.

"I have been advised not to make any further public comment on the case until it has finally come to an end. Meanwhile, I am getting on with my professional life."

(JM/BMcC)

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