Italians happy to see Berlusconi removed from Senate, poll says

ROME, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Sixty-two percent of Italians are pleased to see former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi removed from his Senate seat, a survey reported Friday.

The survey for the state broadcasting channel RAI 3, taken by the Ixe Institute, also indicated 80 percent of respondents are convinced the media mogul, convicted in August of tax fraud and stripped of his parliament seat, will never go to prison.

About 30 percent of respondents were opposed to Berlusconi's ejection from the Senate.

In addition to the tax fraud conviction, which is final, Berlusconi's other court battles include an appeal of a seven-year prison term for paying for sex with an underage prostitute and abusing his position as prime minister to conceal it, and an appeal of a conviction for involvement in publishing information obtained from an illegal wiretap of a political rival, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The survey of 1,000 people has a 3.1 percent margin of error, the Ixe Institute said.