Berlusconi to appear in court on Monday

ROME: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to attend a hearing Monday over allegations of breach of trust in his business interests, the media quoted him as telling his lawyer.
"The plan is for the Prime Minister to attend the hearing on Monday, but if they have institutional duties, it is clear he will not be able to come," said his lawyer Piero Longo, according to the Press on Sunday.
The hearing in Milan is to decide if Berlusconi, a billionaire tycoon turned politician, whose family now runs his media empire, should stand trial for the case involving his company Mediatrade.
Piersilvio Cipolotti, a member of the law firm representing Berlusconi, Berlusconi said that "could make a spontaneous statement" at the hearing.
Berlusconi, 74, is already a defendant in two trials and is also set to stand trial beginning on April 6 on charges of having sex with a prostitute a minor, then using his position to try to cover up the alleged crime.
The abuse of office charges punishable by up to 12 years in prison.
He denied all accusations and accused the prosecutors of conspiring against him in a plot on the left. He said he wanted to attend hearings to defend himself before the Italian people.
Berlusconi received convictions in the past during a long history of legal troubles, but he always won either calls or had the case against him thrown out after they dragged beyond the prescription. (AFP)