Italy prosecutor wants Berlusconi jailed for 5 years

MILAN (Reuters) - An Italian prosecutor demanded a five-year jail sentence on Monday for conservative former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is accused of bribing a judge.

Berlusconi, Italy's richest man and owner of its largest private broadcaster, Mediaset, is accused of using judicial bribes to prevent the sale of foods group SME to a rival businessman in the 1980s.

"The episode shows Berlusconi's full involvement," wrote general prosecutor Piero De Petris in his summation to the appeals court in Milan.

Berlusconi was cleared of the bribery charges by a lower court in December 2004 and, before stepping down from office last year, passed a law that would have made it impossible for prosecutors to appeal the case.

But Italy's highest court ruled that law unconstitutional and earlier this year gave prosecutors a green light to appeal.

The head of the centre-right political opposition has called the accusations against him "completely unfounded" and says he is confident of being cleared.

Berlusconi has faced several court cases over the last two decades but any convictions have been overturned at appeal, lapsed under the statute of limitations or are under appeal.

He went on trial earlier this month over an alleged bribe paid to a British lawyer to keep quiet about his media business dealings. Berlusconi could face up to eight years in prison.

Both Berlusconi and the British lawyer David Mills have denied any wrongdoing.

Berlusconi, whose business empire spans television, movies, publishing and football, has accused his foes of bringing spurious charges for political gain.