Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi appeared in court for the first time in almost eight years today, in a trial over alleged fraud during the acquisition of television broadcasting rights.
Mr Berlusconi, who faces charges in four separate trials in coming weeks including one for having sex with an underage prostitute, smiled and waved to supporters gathered outside the Milan tribunal as he left the building.
Today’s hearing, over alleged fraud during the acquisition of broadcasting rights, was closed to the press and public and was adjourned after two hours until April 4th.
"It all went well. I will be there at the next hearing," he told reporters.
The last time the 74-year old billionaire media entrepreneur appeared in court was in June 2003.
The constitutional court lifted Mr Berlusconi's immunity from trial earlier this year, exposing him to three corruption and fraud cases linked to his Mediaset broadcasting empire and a separate trial in which he is accused of having sex with a prostitute who was below the age of consent.
Opinion polls show Mr Berlusconi's popularity has sunk steadily in recent months, hit by splits in his ruling coalition and lurid newspaper accounts of sex scandals.
About 100 of his supporters gathered outside the Milan tribunal, waving flags and banners in defence of the premier.
"These are all moves by the political left to take power even if they do not have enough votes. They don't know how to get him out," a 70-year-old man outside the court said.
A handful of people also turned up to protest. "We're here to show that Italy, more than half of it, does not agree with what is going on," said 28-year-old Luca Ragone.
Prior to the constitutional court ruling in January, the cases had been frozen under a law which allowed the prime minister to claim he was too busy with his official duties to prepare his defence adequately and stand trial.
He and several other people, including his son Pier Silvio Berlusconi, who is deputy chairman of Mediaset, are accused of tax fraud and embezzlement over the acquisition of television rights for inflated prices. The defendants reject the accusations.
A separate trial in which the prime minister is accused of bribery reopened in Milan last week but Mr Berlusconi, who was due to brief the cabinet on the Libya emergency, did not appear in court.
Mr Berlusconi has denied doing anything illegal in any of the cases and says he has been unfairly targeted by politically motivated magistrates who want to bring him down.
The most high profile case, in which the premier is accused of paying for sex with a teenage nightclub dancer named Karima el Mahroug, better known under her stage name Ruby the Heart Stealer, is due to start on April 6th.