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Judicial authorities are looking
at comments Silvio Berlusconi made on Italian television Monday,
in which he described as "ridiculous" his conviction for tax
fraud at his media empire and his punishment of having to do
community service at a centre for the elderly near Milan, ANSA
sources said Tuesday.
Berlusconi has been warned he could be forced to serve the
year remaining on the four-year sentence for fraud at his
Mediaset broadcasting empire under house arrest, rather than by
doing community service, if he continues to "defame" judges,
after repeated claims that left-wing elements in the judiciary
are seeking to wipe him from Italy's political arena.
Earlier on Tuesday the 77-year-old billionaire repeated
his claim that the tax-fraud sentence, which led to him being
ejected from parliament and declared ineligible to stand in next
month's European elections, amounted to a "coup".
"The Mediaset sentence was another coup that was used to
kick me out of the Senate and make me unable to stand for six
years," the three-time premier told one of his Mediaset TV
channels.
"It has taken out the leader of the centre right, the only
person who managed to keep the moderates together," added the
77-year-old billionaire, who continues to lead and campaign for
his Forza Italia party from outside parliament.
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