The former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is challenging for a share of power after this week's election, has been placed under investigation on suspicion of bribing a senator to change sides in parliament in 2006, sources in the inquiry said on Thursday.
[...]
The prosecutors are investigating claims that a senator, Sergio De Gregorio, was paid €3m (£2.6m) to leave his party and join the PDL, the sources told Italian news agencies.
De Gregorio's move helped trigger the fall of the last centre-left government, headed by Romano Prodi.
The good news is that now he is no longer Prime Minister, this can be prosecuted effectively. Though even then the self-serving changes Berlusconi made to Italy's statute of limitations may mean he avoids punishment. Though I would hope that a finding that the case was proven but the statute had expired would be enough to make him political persona non-grata.