by DoDo
Fri May 22nd, 2009 at 03:49:14 AM EST
David Mills, the estranged husband of UK culture minister Tessa Jowell, is a tax lawyer with shady customers, especially in Italy. This February, an Italian court sentenced him to 4½ years in prison for giving false evidence to court, twice -- in two trials against Silvio Berlusconi (the current Italian PM) concerning bribes.
This Tuesday (19 May), the judges delivered their explanation of the verdict (I hope I correctly translated motivazioni della sentenza). To B's outrage. Let me channel all the juicy details from ET's unofficial Italian correspondent de Gondi:
Our Optimus Supreme Guide of the Nation, Furioso Ingongato, blew his stack when asked some ordinary questions by reporters this evening. He told the press that he would refer to parliament "when he had the time" on the Mills-Berlusconi corruption sentence, and would finally say what he thinks of "certain magistrates." Berlusconi further felt it necessary to repeat the well-proven falsehood that there were no showgirls in his electoral lists. Repetition ad nauseum makes truth.
(cont. below the fold)
When asked by Unità, the historical left opposition daily, if he would let himself be tried, he became furious, and swore, as always, "on the heads of his children." Poor creatures. At least he should swear on his own rather than put his childrens' heads to the block. He menaced that either the reporter should get out or he would leave. To la Repubblica now well-known for its ten questions, he refused to answer unless la Repubblica changed its attitude and came to some sort of an "agreement." He went into a tantrum and reconfirmed that la Repubblica was sick with envy and hate for his person and therefore he had no intention of answering their questions.
He then played the patriotic button on how Italian reporters cause disparaging impressions of the Right Holy Nation abroad.
He was particularly enraged that the financial daily, Sole 24 Ore, had published a scoop today on Noemi's properties.
He repeated ad nauseum that 75% (only!) of the Italians were with him. (Unfortunately 100% are still stuck with him.)
Berlusconi concluded his rant pointing out that he considers Antonio Di Pietro a "threat to democracy."
For a brief video of the event see here for now while we impatiently wait for the full version.
...and still more Burlesquoni:
This evening he declared- really- "I have had over 100 trials; more than 900 judges have worked on me and my group; 587 visits by treasury and judiciary police; 1560 hearings [he only attended one to my knowledge] in 14 years; more than 180 million Euros for lawyers and consultancy fees. It's really an impressive record, absolutely, not worldwide but universal, a record for the entire solar system."
I'm not aware of court procedure on Phoebe or Tethys but I've always asserted he has cosmic ambitions. He forgot to include the sums he spent to bribe judges, Bettino Craxi and sundry corrupt politicians to build his media monopoly, another 60 million Euros by conservative estimates- but well worth the turn back.
Some context if you haven't followed de Gondi lately.
Berlusconi's well-known foible for showgirls, and his shameless practice to promote his latest 'discoveries', reached new heights recently when he chose to make his party's EP election lists more attractive by staffing it with his showgirls -- and then denying having done so.
As for Repubblica's ten questions:
- Mr President, how and when did you first meet Noemi Letizia's father?
- During the course of this friendship how many times, and where, have you met?
- How would you describe the reasons for your friendship with Benedetto Letizia?
- Why did you discuss candidates with Signor Letizia, who is not even a member of the PDL?
- When did you get to know Noemi Letizia?
- How many times have you met Noemi Letizia, and where?
- Do you take an interest in Noemi and her future, or support her family economically in any way?
- Is it true that you promised Noemi you would help her career in show business or in politics?
- Veronica Lario said that you “frequent under-age girls”. Do you meet any others or “bring them up”?
- Your wife says that you are not well and that you “need help”. What is the state of your health?
On the Letizia front, the latest development:
Actually the hot news today was an article in Repubblica detailing an encounter between Noemi and the premier last November sans chaperons. It contradicts Berlusconi's repeated assertions that Noemi was always accompanied when they met. Noemi was the mysterious guest at an important dinner with high fashion impresarios at Villa Madama. She sat at Berlusconi's table and peaked the curiousity of many. The two left together in seperate cars.
Today (May 21) Berlusconi did manage to attack the judiciary as extreme leftist, called for a popular petition to redimension parliament, and more power to the premier.
For the delight of our fellow Europeans he hoped that his personal political entity would win a landslide victory and become the main force in the PPE. We can thank Kohl for letting this individual into mainstream Europe. Polls give him a solid victory in the upcoming elections despite Mills and Noemi.
If the (Berlusconi-controlled) Italian TV landscape is to be believed, the public wants light shows and soap operas, and hardly anything else...
In a follow-up comment to the original, de Gondi gave more details and context, with which I finish:
Berlusconi is off his rocker over the Mill's sentence. He accompanied Barroso around the earthquake area yesterday and remarked that the Italian dentention centers were lagers. Clandestines were better off in Libya, according to him.
Now, if the Italian detention centers for "illegal immigrants" are inhuman, he can thank his government for keeping them that way and just voting a bill that extends detention to 180 days.
The Libyan camps are built with Italian aid in a nation that has yet to sign the 1951 international convention on refugees. The difference between Libyan camps and Italian camps are that the former are worse but out of sight.
The past ten days has seen the Berlusconi coalition on the verge of a nervous breakdown- putting it mildly, as they are corrupt, incompetent and unwavering adulators of this overblown toad. The Berlusconi coalition that has ruled Sicily for the past decade- ransacking and destroying the administration there- has collapsed. The only policy the government has is the Lega's racist demagogy with the generous help of mothy fascists of the caliber of Gasparri and La Russa.
La Russa insulted the UN and the UNLCR the other day while abroad in Libya accusing the High Commissioner of being "inhuman and criminal" and "voting for Rifondazione (Communist)." This from the Minister of Defense. Of course the UN answered very bluntly while the Foreign Minister Frattini had nothing better to add than, the UN is wrong but should be respected anyway.
This obscene circus with its permanent catwalks of feminine claque, psychotic narcissists, and eager toilet mats- ever ready to collect unwanted drippings for our furious Poffarbacco- would it finish for its own cardboard desolation before it drags Italy further down into this mass idiocy. As Gadda put his justified rage against 23 years of past folly, a generation grew old in silence.
