 Mr Berlusconi had heart surgery in the US in December |
An Italian judge has thrown out some of the fraud charges against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and UK lawyer David Mills. The Milan judge invoked the statute of limitations, rejecting embezzlement charges in the Berlusconi case going back further than July 1999.
In the Mills case, he dropped a charge of receiving stolen goods before 1993.
Prosecutors say Mr Berlusconi, Italy's richest man, gave false declarations about his Mediaset TV business.
Mr Berlusconi, 70, denies all charges against him.
Twice prime minister, Mr Berlusconi has been leader of the opposition since losing power in elections in April.
He is on trial alongside 13 others, including David Mills, the estranged husband of British Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell.
Prosecutors allege the defendants were involved in establishing a complex system to enable tax evasion.
It is alleged that offshore companies set up in the early 1990s were used to buy American film rights which were sold at hugely inflated prices to Mr Berlusconi's Mediaset.
It is also alleged that Mr Mills was paid $600,000 (�316,000) for not revealing details of the offshore companies during two previous trials in 1997 and 1998, in which he gave evidence as an expert witness.
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