Mills and Berlusconi to Face Bribery Charges

David Mills, the estranged husband of the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, has been ordered to stand trial in Italy alongside the country's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, a lawyer for Mr Berlusconi has said.

Mr Mills, who set up a network of offshore companies for the business empire of Mr Berlusconi, from whom he is accused of taking a £340,000 bribe.

The pair are already set to stand trial in the country in November on charges of tax fraud and money laundering.

Nicolo Ghedini, the lawyer for Mr Berlusconi, confirmed today that his client and Mr Mills would stand trial in connection with the bribery charges.

Mr Mills separated from his wife in March following extensive publicity given to the case.

The charges relate to two earlier trials involving Mr Berlusconi, in which Mr Mills gave evidence as an expert witness for the prosecution.

During those trials, the British lawyer was accused of tailoring his evidence in court, in return for which he was rewarded by Mr Berlusconi afterwards. Both men have said that no such payment was made.

In the trial due to start in November, Mr Berlusconi is accused of buying Hollywood film rights through offshore companies set up by Mr Mills, and then selling them on to his own television networks at inflated prices. One effect of this, it is claimed, was to artificially bring down the profits of his media group, and thereby illegally cut its tax bill by some €60m (£40.1m).

After a preliminary hearing lasting more than eight months, the judge indicted the pair and 12 others in July.

If convicted next month, Mr Mills could face up to 12 years in an Italian jail.

Mr Mills has strenuously denied the charges against him. When the Guardian first revealed last year that he risked being tried, Mr Mills described the accusations as "unjust" and groundless.