Last week Silvio Berlusconi, former Prime Minister of Italy, was at long last convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to 4 years in prison which was immediately reduced to 1 year because of some amnesty rule. In 1990 he was convicted by an Appeal Court in Venice of giving false testimony in front of a court in Verona in 1989 but got away because of another amnesty rule. There have been allegations of mafia collusion, tax fraud, corruption and bribery of police officers and judges against him but he has always managed to wriggle out by amnesty laws and statute of limitations, some of which were enacted while he was the Prime Minister. Indeed he entered politics to escape justice, using his enormous wealth and control of TV channels to win elections. Berlusconi is also famous for his appetite for underage girls and for inviting an underage prostitute, Karima al Mahroug to bunga bunga parties. Another former Italian Prime Minister, Bettino Craxi fled to Tunisia where he died in exile on 19 January 2000. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison for corruption which was reduced to 9 years and 8 months. Giulio Andreotti has been investigated many times including for involvement in the murder of a journalist, Mino Pecorelli in 1979 who had exposed his links to the Mafia. Andreotti was made Senator for life which gives him lifelong immunity from conviction. The similarity with Indian politicians is stark. Our lot are a bunch of criminals and crooks who have entered politics for the protection it affords and have managed to win elections with black money, guns and goons. The cabinet reshuffle at the center yesterday is a vivid example. The same old ugly faces or the children of the old ugly faces have been made ministers in a game of merry go round. The fellow who threatened to kill India Against Corruption activist, Arvind Kejriwal has been made Minister of External Affairs. He will be able to gel with the Italians very well. On 15 February, 2 unarmed Indian fishermen were shot to death off the coast of Kerala by 2 marines aboard the Italian ship MV Enrica Lexie. The Italians claim that the murders happened in international waters so the marines should be allowed to go free as if that is some kind of amnesty. After all the Italians allowed Amanda Knox, affectionately known as Foxy Knoxy to her friends, to walk free of a charge of double murder. Knox happens to be an American and is now happily enjoying her life in the US of A. In April the central government told the Supreme Court that the 2 marines should be allowed to go free because the murders did not happen in the country's territorial waters and questioned the right of the Kerala Police to hold the 2 marines. The Supreme Court said," We do not expect such a stand of the central government. It is unfortunate when persons killed on February 15 were within Indian territorial waters." Seems that Italians are ruling this country, does it not?
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