The conservative former Italian prime minister rejects an expert opinion on his physical and psychological condition ordered by the court in Milan, and on Thursday he snubbed and announced that he would no longer appear in court in person.
Actually, the court would have wanted the opinion by November 5th. Because of Berlusconi’s refusal, however, that was now obsolete, wrote the Italian news agency Ansa, which quoted Berlusconi’s letter to the court.
The politician, who will be 85 years old at the end of the month, complains that such an opinion violates his honor and constitutes a “clear prejudice”. “I can’t accept that.” The chamber ordered Berlusconi’s investigations on Wednesday. Now the court has to decide how and when to continue.
The trial in Milan and another in Siena had been postponed several times because of Berlusconi’s health problems, because of which the accused could not appear. The party leader of the conservative Forza Italia was still suffering from the long-term consequences after a corona infection around a year ago, it said.
Berlusconi is charged with bribery of witnesses in connection with an earlier trial of “bunga-bunga parties” with young women.