Silvio Berlusconi is under investigation. Not only for bribery but also for “violence and threatening a political, administrative or judicial body”, crimes committed against the office for the Communications Watchdog. The commissioner of Agcom, Giancarlo Innocenzi, is also under investigation, accused of personal aiding and abetting. Innocenzi, in front of the investigators of Trani, denied having been pressed by the Prime Minister to close the TV programme Annozero.

The director of Tg1, Augusto Minzolini is also under investigation because he revealed the content of his deposition in Trani as a witness, violating the privacy imposed by the magistrates on the investigation concerning the American Express credit cards. The most serious position is Berlusconi’s . The crimes of which he is accused are usually punished with 4 to 12 years of imprisonment for bribery, and with one to seven years for the threats. The prosecutor’s office announced that Berlusconi is under investigation after the Prime Minister’s lawyers, Filiberto Palumbo and Niccolò Ghedini had asked for official news after the rumours published in the newspapers. The crimes are connected with Berlusconi’s pressure to stop the TV programme Annozero. The host of the programme, Michele Santoro, will be listened to by the magistrates as a witness.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute