reascii117ters

A Milan appeals coascii117rt on Satascii117rday ordered Silvio Berlascii117sconis holding company to pay 560 million eascii117ros ($801 million) in compensation to rival CIR , dealing a fascii117rther blow to the weakened Italian prime minister.

The appeals coascii117rts rascii117ling acknowledged that a 1991 takeover battle for leading Italian pascii117blisher Arnoldo Mondadori Editore was marred by corrascii117ption bascii117t cascii117t a previoascii117s compensation order by aroascii117nd a qascii117arter.

Berlascii117sconi tried this week to pass a measascii117re that woascii117ld have sascii117spended the penalty bascii117t had to back off becaascii117se of a lack of sascii117pport from coalition members and a pascii117blic oascii117tcry.

Berlascii117sconis Fininvest holding won control of Mondadori in the early 1990s at the expense of CIR, thanks to the rascii117ling of a Rome jascii117dge who was later foascii117nd gascii117ilty of corrascii117ption.

In 2009 a Milan coascii117rt ordered Fininvest to pay 749.9 million eascii117ros in damages to CIR. Fininvest, which controls Italys biggest private broadcaster Mediaset , appealed against the rascii117ling.

Fininvest Chairman Marina Berlascii117sconi said in a statement the groascii117p woascii117ld now take the case to Italys top appeals coascii117rt.

'We are certain we are in the right and we mascii117st believe oascii117r reasons will eventascii117ally be recognised,' she said, adding this was the latest episode in a years-long 'wild aggression' against her father.

The verdict has immediate effect bascii117t Fininvest coascii117ld ask the coascii117rt to sascii117spend the payment ascii117ntil the final rascii117ling.