Milan: Police overpowered and arrested a
young man overnight outside Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi's hospital room, a police spokesman said on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old intruder "who appeared to have a mental
problem," was stopped at around 2:00 am (0630 IST) on the
floor where the prime minister is staying, police told agency.
"He was coming out of the lift when bodyguards and police
immobilized him immediately," a spokesman said.
"He said he wanted to talk to the prime minister," the
spokesman added. "He did not have an aggressive attitude or
any weapon or dangerous object on him. We found hockey sticks
in his car."
Berlusconi is recovering from an attack Sunday in which a
man hurled a souvenir of Milan's cathedral at him. He suffered
a broken nose, two broken teeth and other injuries.
The assailant, Massimo Tartaglia, 42, who has apologised
to the 73-year-old prime minister for what he called a
"cowardly" act, faces charges of aggravated assault punishable
by up to five years in prison.
Berlusconi cancels appointments after attack
Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi cancelled public appointments for the rest of the
year ahead of leaving hospital today to recover from injuries
suffered in an attack.
The 73-year-old billionaire prime minister spent three
nights in hospital in Milan after a man threw a souvenir
replica of the city's cathedral into his face on Sunday.
Berlusconi suffered a broken nose and facial cuts and
lost two teeth. Doctors told him to avoid stressful public
duties and he has called off a trip to the Copenhagen climate
summit this week and a Christmas Eve trip to L'Aquila the
Italian city where 300 people died in an earthquake in April.
His spokesman, Paolo Bonauiti, said a traditional
end-of-year news conference may be rescheduled. He said
Berlusconi had trouble sleeping because of neck pains caused
by the attack but he still expected to be discharged in the
early afternoon.
"The prime minister is like a volcano that begins
erupting at seven in the morning," Bonauiti said. "He is a
great worker and it will be difficult, if not impossible, to
keep him away from work and his commitments."
Berlusconi's doctor, Alberto Zangrillo, said however that
the prime minister must "abstain from all activities that
would expose him to public situations, to stress."
Massimo Tartiglia, 42, faces charges of aggravated
assault and up to five years in prison if convicted of the
assault. Police say he has a history of mental illness.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 20:31