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Jul. 7, 2006. 03:52 PM
COLLEEN BARRY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

MILAN, Italy — Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was charged with false accounting, embezzlement and tax fraud Friday in connection with his media empire's purchases of TV broadcast rights for U.S. movies, his lawyer said.

Berlusconi's close friend and former British lawyer, David Mills, and the chairman of his Mediaset conglomerate, Fedele Confalonieri, also were indicted in the preliminary hearing, Berlusconi lawyer Nicolo Ghedini said.

Nine other people face charges including tax fraud and embezzlement, Italian news agencies reported. All the defendants, who were ordered to stand trial starting Nov. 21, have denied wrongdoing.

Prosecutors allege that Mediaset purchased TV rights for U.S. movies before 1999 through two offshore companies, and made false declarations of the costs to lower the tax bill.

Berlusconi, Italy's richest man and longest-serving postwar leader, lost the premiership in April elections. He has a long history of legal troubles linked to Milan-based business interests. To date, every case has ended either with his acquittal or a dismissal of charges because the statute of limitations expired. He has always maintained his innocence.

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