Berlusconi skips hearing in Milan corruption case
Berlusconi
Premier Silvio Berlusconi skipped a hearing Friday in a trial accusing him of bribing a British lawyer to lie on the stand.
 Berlusconi had not been expected at the technical hearing  his lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said  adding that the premier would attend when there were issues of substance at hand  beginning next month.
 Prosecutors accuse Berlusconi of ordering the 1997 payment of $600 000 to lawyer David Mills in exchange for his false testimony in two trials. Both Berlusconi and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is in the second and final round of appeals against his conviction in the case.
 of ordering the 1997 payment of $600 000 to lawyer David Mills in exchange for his false testimony in two trials. Both Berlusconi and MillsBerlusconi and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is in the second and final round of appeals against his conviction in the case.
 On Friday  the three-judge panel rejected a defense motion arguing that Berlusconi's portion of the trial should restart from scratch  without allowing any evidence heard by the previous court to carry over on the grounds it would be prejudicial.
 The case is one of two in Milan courts restarted against the premier after Italy's Constitutional Court overturned a law sparing Berlusconi from prosecution while in office.
 In the other case  Berlusconi and others are accused of overpaying for rights to show U.S. movies on Berlusconi's Mediaset television empire and pocketing the difference.
 Although defendants in Italian trials are not required to be present  Berlusconi has said he wants to defend himself in person against the charges.
[TGT] skipped a hearing Friday in a trial accusing [TGT] of bribing a British lawyer to lie on the stand.
 [TGT] had not been expected at the technical hearing  [TGT] lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said  adding that [TGT] would attend when there were issues of substance at hand  beginning next month.
 Prosecutors accuse [TGT] of ordering the 1997 payment of $600 000 to lawyer David Mills in exchange for [TGT] false testimony in two trials. Both [TGT] and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is in the second and final round of appeals against [TGT] conviction in the case.
 of ordering the 1997 payment of $600 000 to lawyer David Mills in exchange for [TGT] false testimony in two trials. Both [TGT] and MillsBerlusconi and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is in the second and final round of appeals against his conviction in the case.
 On Friday  the three-judge panel rejected a defense motion arguing that [TGT]'s portion of the trial should restart from scratch  without allowing any evidence heard by the previous court to carry over on the grounds it would be prejudicial.
 The case is one of two in Milan courts restarted against the premier after Italy's Constitutional Court overturned a law sparing [TGT] from prosecution while in office.
 In the other case  Berlusconi and others are accused of overpaying for rights to show U.S. movies on [TGT]'s Mediaset television empire and pocketing the difference.
 Although defendants in Italian trials are not required to be present  [TGT] has said [TGT] wants to defend [TGT] in person against the charges.