Italian court acquits Berlusconi in sex case appeal

MILAN, July 18 (AFP):- An Italian appeal court on Friday acquitted former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi of charges of having sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of power.
"The defendant is acquitted," presiding judge Enrico Tranfa said, rejecting a request from prosecutors to confirm a seven-year sentence against the billionaire tycoon.
Berlusconi was not present at the start of the hearing in Milan, where the panel of judges considering the case told the court it would issue its ruling at around 1100 GMT.
The disgraced billionaire tycoon is still serving a sentence of community service at a centre for Alzheimer's patients near Milan following a prior conviction for tax fraud linked to his business empire, Mediaset.
Prosecutors have asked the judges to uphold the seven-year sentence for having sex for money with a then 17-year-old exotic dancer called Karima El-Mahroug, who is now better known by her stage name as "Ruby the Heart Stealer".