World Press Network

Berlusconi's Fininvest ordered to pay 560m euro damages

An Italian court has ordered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's holding company Fininvest to pay 560m euros (£500m) in damages to a rival media group, CIR, over bribery allegations.

The Milan appeals court's ruling was over Fininvest's winning of control of publisher Mondadori from CIR in 1991.

The takeover was sanctioned by a judge who was later sentenced for corruption.

Fininvest had appealed against an earlier order to pay 750m euros in damages to CIR.

That 2009 ruling found in favour of prosecutors who said Mr Berlusconi was "jointly responsible" for bribing the Rome judge.