1.   Berlusconi is currently on trial in Milan for allegedly attempting to bribe tax collectors in order to obtain more favorable audits.

2.   In addition, Berlusconi himself is on trial by Milan public prosecutors seeking to demonstrate that he and executives paid bribes to tax police to obtain favorable audits.

3.   Investigators said the tax inspectors pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for providing the fashion companies with favorable audits.

4.   Last week the prime minister himself was interrogated by Milan magistrates investigating payments his Fininvest business empire made to tax inspectors in exchange for favorable audits.

5.   Numerous companies have been charged with paying off tax officials in exchange for favorable audits.

6.   The auditor would gain little from producing overly favorable audits because there would be no chance of renewing the engagement for a considerable period of time.

7.   The designers, along with six other fashion industry executives and nine tax inspectors, were indicted last July for allegedly bribing Italian tax police for favorable audits.

8.   The designers, along with six other fashion industry executives and nine tax inspectors, were indicted last July, accused of bribing Italian tax police for favorable audits.

9.   The payment was part of the latest phase of the long-running corruption scandals, involving payments to government tax inspectors in return for favorable audits.

10.   All were accused of bribing tax inspectors for favorable audits.