(ANSA) - Milan, March 19 - The death by suspected poisoning
of key Ruby witness Imane Fadil hurts Silvio Berlusconi's
defence against charges of witness tampering, his lawyers said
Tuesday.
"Fadil's death, from the technical and trial standpoint harms
Berlusconi's defence because her declarations enter into the
trial directly and we can't cross examine her," said defence
attorney Federico Cecconi.
"When a person dies the utmost expression of grief is not a
rhetorical expression," he added.
"I don't want to express opinions" on the mysterious death,
he said.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that 33-year-old Moroccan model
Fadil either died of a rare illness or of poisoning.
"Both hypotheses have the same validity at this point," they
said.
The date of the decisive autopsy has not yet been set, they
said.
Fadil death hurts us - Berlusconi staff
Either died of rare illness or poisining say prosecutors