Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian prime minister and one of the wealthiest businessmen in Italy, is going on trial in Milan on Wednesday on charges of false accounting and corruption.

Last month, he was found guilty of accounting fraud and has been sentenced to 16 months in jail in another trial, though he is unlikely to have to serve time under current Italian criminal procedure.

In addition, he is facing separate trials on two other counts - bribing tax officials and making illegal contributions to the Socialist Party's funds through Swiss bank accounts.

Berlusconi, who as head of the right-wing Forza Italia party is now leader of the opposition in the Italian Parliament, claims he is a victim of persecution by the Milan judiciary.

The latest charges relate to the purchase of one of the luxury properties near Milan which is one of his main residences.

Berlusconi's former lawyer, Cesare Previti, who was defence minister in his right-wing coalition government in 1994, is also due to face trial later this year, on corruption charges.

He is accused of bribing judges in Rome to give favourable verdicts in cases concerning Berlusconi's commercial business interests.
 

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