Jowell's Husband Faces Tax and Cash Charges

The husband of the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, learnt yesterday that prosecutors in Milan had asked for him to be put on trial alongside Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, on charges of tax fraud and money laundering.

David Mills, an international corporate lawyer, has vigorously denied the allegations, describing them as "unjust". Last night he told the Guardian: "My position remains exactly as it was. I know absolutely that I have done nothing wrong and I am sure that in due course that will be established to everyone's satisfaction."

He added that he had been informed of the charges by the Guardian and not by the prosecutors themselves. Judicial sources in Milan said Mr Mills was one of 13 people, including Italy's prime minister, charged with a variety of offences in connection with the trading of television rights by Mr Berlusconi's TV empire. The charges against Mr Mills were of tax fraud and money laundering, the sources said.

It will be up to a judge to decide whether the 14 should go for trial. If tried and convicted, Mr Mills could face up to 12 years in jail.

Yesterday's news was the latest in a string of blows for the culture secretary's husband. Last month he said he was at his "wits end" after reports that the same prosecutors had formally placed him under investigation on suspicion of corruption and perjury in a related case also involving Mr Berlusconi.

Mr Mills described those claims as "outlandish" and "false". Mr Berlusconi dismissed them as "imaginings".

The British lawyer was for many years an adviser to Italy's billionaire leader. Prosecutors claim that, in the mid-to late 1990s, Mr Berlusconi's Mediaset TV group used a string of offshore companies to buy foreign television rights at artificially inflated prices.

One effect of the operation, they claim, was to reduce Mediaset's tax liability by some 124.6 billion lire (£44.1m). The prosecutors also contend the operation distorted the value of assets owned by Mediaset and gave a false impression of its worth to investors who bought into the company when part of its capital was offered for sale.

It is claimed by the prosecution that some of the money spent by Mediaset went to two of Mr Berlusconi's children: Piersilvio, now the vice-president of Mediaset, and Marina, vice-president of Fininvest, the company at the apex of Mr Berlusconi's business empire. Both were formally placed under suspicion in a related case last year.

A statement issued jointly by Mediaset and Fininvest at the time expressed "shock and incredulity". It said Marina and Piersilvio were not involved "in any way" in the dealings under investigation.

Mediaset's offshore trading activities have been the subject of legal proceedings in which Mr Mills stressed his willingness to cooperate with Italian investigators. Until two years ago he had been treated by prosecutors and judges alike as a professional adviser with no responsibility for any alleged wrongdoing on the part of his client.

This month the Berlusconi family further reduced its interest in Mediaset by selling off a 17% stake that reduced its holding to just over 34%. But it continues to retain control of the TV group, which runs three of Italy's seven main channels.

Prosecutors have repeatedly tried, and failed, to get Italy's conservative leader convicted of financial offences. Last year, in the most serious case then pending, he was acquitted of bribing judges after the court decided that the alleged offence had been committed too long ago for a ruling to be given.

Mr Berlusconi has long claimed that he is the victim of a campaign orchestrated by his political enemies. News of the latest charges came as he was preparing to seek a vote of confidence for his government, which has been reshuffled in the past week.