Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been acquitted on charges that he had sex with an under-aged Moroccan prostitute. The originalconviction carried a seven-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban on holding political office. The prosecution has 90 days to challenge the appeal. The court also lifted Berlusconi's lifetime ban from state politics. Berlusconi was also convicted of tax fraud for which he is doing community service.

According to the Associated Press a Milan appeals court overturned the conviction of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on charges that he paid for sex with an underage prostitute and then abused his power to cover up the crime on Friday. Silvio Berlusconi had been convicted for paying for sex with a minor. Berlusconi's seven-year prison sentence was revoked and the lifetime ban from holding public office was reversed.

Berlusconi resigned from office of Prime Minister in 2011 at the height of Italy's financial crisis. The ruling means that Berlusconi is still the head of the right-wing Forza Italia party.Berlusconi  could face charges for possible witness-tampering in the sex-for-hire trial and in another related case that involves three of his aides who were convicted of procuring prostitutes for Berlusconi's parties 

Last year the Italian Senate expelled Silvio Berlusconi from Parliament for the Mediaset tax fraud conviction. Berlusconi has been in the legislature for two decades.

Berlusconi won't hold a Parliamentary seat, but will probably remain influential in Italian politics. Silvio Berlusconia relaunched his Forza Italia party. Berlusconi still has the support of millions of Italian citizens.

"I'm deeply moved: only those who stood by me in these past years know what I've suffered for this unjust and infamous accusation," Mr. Berlusconi said Friday.
Franco Coppi, Berlusconi's attorney, said the reversal went "beyond our rosiest predictions."

The Berlusconi sex case caught the attention of the global media, with sordid tales of the 77-year-old three-time prim minster's sex-fueled bunga-bunga parties where he hosted sexy showgirls at his private villa.

According to the prosecution, Silvio Berlusconi paid for sex with an underage Moroccan prostitute named Karima el-Mahroug. The woman was known by her alias, "Ruby the Heartstealer." The prosecution alleged that Berlusconi used his influence to cover up the allegations by telling police that "Ruby" former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek's grandaughter. Berlusconi claimed that he was unaware that Ruby was a minor. The prime minister insisted he never had sex with the woman.

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