Berlusconi found guilty of bribing Italian senator

The court in southern Italy sentenced Berlusconi to three years in jail and banned him from holding any public office for five years, a judge said in a ruling shown live on television news networks.

The four-times prime minister, who is struggling to revive his political fortunes, denied the charges. He will not have to serve his sentence because a statute of limitations in the case kicks in later this year, before any appeal can be held.

(Writing by Crispian Balmer; editing by Andrew Roche)