Rome: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is
expected to return to court in Milan early Monday to defend
himself against charges of bribing a witness in one of three
ongoing trials involving the Italian leader.
"He will be there," said Piero Longo, one of
Berlusconi`s personal lawyers.
But the lawyer said that Berlusconi would not be able
to make any political statements in or out of court because of
laws on campaigning during a round of local elections across
Italy set to end on Monday at 1830 hrs IST.
Berlusconi has turned the vote into a test of his own
popularity, which has been badly damaged in recent months by
legal and sex scandals. His ratings have halved from a peak of
over 60 percent after his re-election in 2008.
The prime minister has been campaigning particularly
hard in Milan, Italy`s economic capital, where the
centre-right incumbent Letizia Moratti risks being forced into
a second round by leftist rival Giuliano Pisapia.
PTI
