Berlusconi judge may face new disciplinary measures

(ANSA) – Rome, November 22 – An Italian supreme court judge faces possible new disciplinary measures for a controversial interview he gave after leading the panel that upheld a tax-fraud conviction against ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi in August, Italian media reported Friday.

According to the daily Il Messaggero, a Cassation Court prosecutor has launched a probe into Antonio Esposito, whose interview with Naples-based daily Il Mattino caused a massive furore, coming so soon after Berlusconi received his first-ever binding conviction following two decades of legal battles.

It was a highly unusual move as a court usually only comments on its sentences in a written explanation generally published over a month after the verdict is announced.

Esposito said that during the interview, he was talking only in general terms and the newspaper had misconstrued his comments to make it seem as if he had been referring specifically to Berlusconi’s case.

Last week the Italian judiciary’s self-governing body (CSM) announced a large majority of senior committee members had voted to drop its own case against him.

But the case lodged against Esposito at the Cassation court may lead to bringing the judge back before the CSM’s disciplinary panel.

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