Italy’s high court upholds Berlusconi’s acquittal in ‘bunga bunga’ case

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s acquittal in a prostitution case was upheld by the country’s highest court on Tuesday. The Court of Cassation denied the prosecutors' appeal of Berlusconi’s acquittal of charges that he paid for sex with an underage prostitute and then tried to cover it up. The court is due to release a written ruling within 90 days. “It’s a great success,” AP quoted Berlusconi’s defense attorney, Michaela Andresano, as saying. “The court accepted our arguments and rejected the prosecutors’ appeal.”Berlusconi was previously convicted by a lower court. He was sentenced to seven years in jail and issued a lifetime ban from holding public office. In 2014, an appeals court reversed the lower court’s decision. However, Berlusconi is not completely off the hook; he still faces an investigation for allegedly bribing witnesses in the case – referred to as 'bunga-bunga' – and is on trial in Naples for alleged political corruption.