An Italian court has accused former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of bribing witnesses to give false testimony in the case against him for having paid sex with a minor.
The written judgment came against Berlusconi and his three other associates, who have been charged with procuring prostitutes for parties at his home near Milan, News24 reports.
The court said that the evidence implicated Berlusconi had paid "money and other benefits" to a young women, who had taken part in the parties near Milan, to give false testimony and that the evidence had been sent to prosecutors, who might open a new investigation into the case.
The accusation came two days after Berlusconi was stripped of his seat in parliament for tax fraud.
According to the report, the court said that regular monthly payments of at least 3, 400 dollars to witnesses in trials is not an anomaly, but an illegal action, and stands as an evidence of corruption.
Berlusconi was convicted in June of paying for sex with former nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, known by the stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", when she was under 18.
However, he denied of any wrongdoing and has appealed against the verdicts.