Berlusconi and Confalonieri acquitted in Mediatrade case

An Italian court has acquitted Mediaset executives Pier Silvio Berlusconi and Fedele Confalonieri of charges in their trial for alleged tax fraud related to the activities of the company’s Mediatrade international sales unit. 

The Mediatrade affair dates back to 2005 and concerns allegations that the company acquired rights to international content at inflated prices in an attempt to avoid paying taxes. Executive vice-president Berlusconi and deputy chairman Confalonieri, along with Frank Agrama, an associate of disgraced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, were charged with tax fraud.

The court applied the statute of limitation to the charges related to events in 2005 and acquitted the executives of charges relating to separate events in the 2006-08 period.

Mediaset has consistently maintained its innoncence in the case, notably after the Italian Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Silvio Berlusconi for offences related to the case last August, which resulted in the former prime minister serving a community sentence.