FLASH
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The leader of "Forca Italia" and former Italian Prime Minister Sivio Berlusconi passed away today at the age of 86 after a battle of several weeks in the hospital with the serious disease of leukemia.
Berlusconi was a controversial figure throughout his life, dividing the opinion in Italy in two, with people who loved him madly, but there were also many who hated him. His political career is filled with many successes and scandals which dimmed his great success.
Sexual scandals, accusations of tax fraud, corruption and ties to the mafia were some of the rumored affairs of the former Italian prime minister. The Mediaset mogul, who has a net worth of $6.9 billion, was once the 12th richest man in the world.
Below we list some of the biggest scandals Berlusconi faced.
Conflicts of interest
An almost constant theme in Berlusconi's life were allegations of conflict of interest. Especially when he was prime minister, as one of the local journalists claimed that he entered politics to save his companies from bankruptcy.
Such accusations usually focused on his use of media and marketing for political gain, as he had extensive control over large sections of the Italian press.
Accusations of corruption
In 2007, an audio recording of a phone call between Berlusconi and Radiotelevision Italia director general Agostino Sacca was made public. It was part of an investigation by the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, where Berlusconi was suspected of corruption.
He was found guilty of tax fraud in October 2012 in a case involving his TV network Mediaset. Berlusconi was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Sexual scandals
Berlusconi was also accused of paying Moroccan ballerina Karima El Mahroug, better known as "Ruby the Heart Stealer", for sex when she was 17.
He faced a trial that began in April 2011. However, a Milan court threw out a guilty verdict and seven-year prison sentence handed down by a lower court in 2013. It was one of the latest scandals that helped in accelerating Berlusconi's political downfall.
Suspected ties to the mafia
Berlusconi was never tried on charges related to Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian mafia, but it has been repeatedly alleged that he had ties to the group. The allegations stem mainly from the employment of Vittorio Mangano, a man with ties to the Sicilian Mafia. Berlusconi employed Mangano as the gardener of his villa in Milan.
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