Berlusconi ally's Mafia conviction upheld
ROME (AP) — Italy's top criminal court has upheld the conviction of a longtime aide to ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi for Mafia association.
The Court of Cassation in Rome Friday night let stand the conviction and seven-year prison term handed down by a Palermo court in 2010 to Marcello Dell'Utri, who had served as an executive in Berlusconi's business empire and a senator in his center-right party.
Last month, Dell'Utri was detained in Lebanon after he was declared a fugitive by Italian authorities. Dell'Utri had been discovered staying at a Beirut hotel, but he is currently detained in a hospital after falling ill.
The Cassation Court's decision could pave the way for his extradition to Italy. Dell'Utri has denied being a link between Sicilian mobsters and the media mogul as prosecutors alleged.
