Berlusconi's son acquitted of fraud in Mediatrade case

Rome, October 19 - The supreme Court of Cassation acquitted Silvio Berlusconi's son, Pier Silvio Berlusconi, and Mediaset Chairman Fedele Confalonieri of fraud at the Mediatrade subsidiary of the broadcasting giant late on Tuesday. The court ruled that the conduct of the pair could not be considered a crime in a case regarding the purchase of film rights by Mediaset. In the first-instance trial in July 2014, the pair were both acquitted along with the other defendants. An appeals court, however, had sentenced Pier Silvio Berlusconi and Confalonieri to 14-month prison terms in March this year. Three-time premier Silvio Berlusconi was initially also implicated in the Mediatrade case but his position was shelved in 2011 due to lack of evidence.