Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister, has been sentenced by a Milan court for tax fraud connected to his Mediaset television channels and also banned from holding public office for five years.
The court sentenced him on Friday to four years but later cut it to one year because of an amnesty law which reduces the sentences of all crimes committed up to May 2006.
In addition to the prison sentence, Berlusconi and 10 co-defendants were ordered to pay 10m euros ($13m) to Italian tax authorities, a statement said.
Berlusconi, 76, is considered certain to stave off any imprisonment or ban on his political activities by appealing through higher courts.
The Milan court also said Berlusconi could not hold public office for five years or manage any company for three years, penalties that would take force only if the conviction is upheld.
The tax scam helped to create secret overseas accounts and reduce profits to pay fewer taxes in Italy.
Big consequences
Berlusconi was accused of having artificially inflated the price of film distribution rights bought by shell companies, then selling these back to his Mediaset empire.
The prosecution had asked for a prison sentence of three years and eight months for Berlusconi.
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