How well do Mr Mills and the Italian Prime Minister know each other?
Signor Berlusoni has tried to distance himself from Mr Mills and stated last week that he “had never known” him. This was contradicted by Italian prosecutors who believe that Mr Mills hosted a dinner for Signor Berlusconi and his daughter, Marina, in 1995 at the Garrick Club in London. What did Mr Mills do for Signor Berlusconi? In March 1980, he set up Reteitalia, whose principal activity was the purchase and sale of film rights for Signor Berlusconi’s television stations. Over the next 15 years Mr Mills set up a number of other companies for Fininvest. When he became Prime Minister, Signor Berlusconi’s business interests came under intense scrutiny with investigators probing this web of offshore companies. Italian judicial authorities allege that the purpose of the network of accounts in Switzerland, Monaco and the Bahamas was to evade taxes. Mr Mills and Signor Berlusconi are both facing a trial over this matter which involves two of the companies Mr Mills created, Century One and U
