Wednesday, April 6 2011. The first session has been adjourned.
Do you know how trials work in Italy? The so-called “Rubygate” proceedings are a good example of that.
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Court and press |
The first hearings were due for the 6th of April. The build-up was huge. An extensive international press coverage was set-up. Outside of the fascist-era court building in Milan an assemblage people gathered: curious folks, Berlusconi tireless haters and fans. The renowned Italian organisation worked like a Swiss watch: The courtroom had been repainted, the flows of the crowd and the loads of journalists regulated by barriers. Everything was working just fine.
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Silvio's supporters |
Then – it's 9:35 – the President of the Court Giulia Turri started to go through the roll. Mr Berlusconi didn't attend to the hearing, but sent a letter instead saying that he was very sorry (actually “he intends” – and loves – “to follow all the hearings of his trial”, he's just too busy), but he to go and fix a problem with Tunisia or Libya, or both. He also said they could go ahead with the proceedings without him, no need to wait. After Berlusconi's message, the judge had to read another letter, from the Prime Minister's lawyers. Regretfully both Niccolò Ghedini and Piero Longo were engaged with a Parliament session, so they could not attend. Sorry for that.
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Niccolò Ghedini (wasn't there) |
After that, the panel of judges calls police headquarters' officer Giorgia Iafrate (a alleged victim of Silvio Berlusconi's concussion, she granted custody of the underage Ruby to Nicole Minetti), but she's not there (thankfully her lawyer was). Than it's the turn of two other officers, Pietro Ostuni and Ivo Morello, but they're absent (they lawyers too). And even Ruby the Heart Stealer, who was not there.
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Giorgia Iafrate (absentee) |
So the whole thing started at 9:35 and ended at around 9:45, after drawing up the absentees' list, with a adjournment to the 31th of May.
That was a quick one...
