An Italian judge opened hearings yesterday to decide if Silvio Berlusconi should face trial in a corruption case, and lawyers presented documents which his defence said would clear the former Prime Minister.

Milan prosecutors have accused Mr Berlusconi of paying lawyer David Mills, the estranged husband of British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, a kickback of $600,000 for not revealing details of his media empire when he testified in two court cases.

Lawyers for Mr Mills presented information yesterday which Mr Berlusconi's lawyers said proved the money was not connected to the politician or his family holding firm Fininvest.

"This paperwork proves that we are talking about money that has nothing to do with Berlusconi and Fininvest," Niccolo Ghedini, one of Mr Berlusconi's lawyers, said, adding that they had received a voluminous file. "We are completely at ease."

Mr Berlusconi's defence asked for more time to look at the new documents and Judge Fabio Paparella set Friday for the next hearing.

The hearings, which will determine if Mr Berlusconi and Dr Mills stand trial, are the latest chapter in Mr Berlusconi's long-standing legal struggles.

In Madrid, Spain's High Court yesterday began trying eight of Mr Berlusconi's former business partners accused of illegally dealing in shares of private television channel Telecinco and related tax fraud.

Spanish prosecutors may also seek to try Mr Berlusconi, whose Mediaset group now control the top-rated channel, over dealings related to the Telecinco case, court sources said.

From July, Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, who pursued Mr Berlusconi until his 2001 election victory gave him judicial immunity, will take charge of legal deliberations on whether Spain should reopen its case against the former Prime Minister.

Yesterday's proceedings in Milan were the most important development in court since Mr Berlusconi narrowly lost the general election in April to Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition.

Mr Berlusconi lashed out at the prosecutors three days ahead of the April vote, accusing them of plotting to ruin his political ambitions by seeking charges against him before the election.

He presented bank statements then that he said proved the money in question had come from a Naples shipbuilder.

Mr Prodi's new government said yesterday it would seek damages in the case.

Both Mr Berlusconi and Dr Mills have denied wrongdoing. Neither attended yesterday's session. Subsequent hearings could take weeks or months before the judge decides whether to charge the men.

The involvement of Dr Mills in the investigation stirred up a political storm in Britain and led to his separation from Ms Jowell after 27 years of marriage.

Mr Berlusconi, Dr Mills and 12 others are under investigation in a related fraud case involving Mr Berlusconi's media company, Mediaset. Preliminary hearings to decide whether to indict them in that case began in October and are continuing.

Dr Mills has testified as a witness at three of Mr Berlusconi's previous fraud trials.

Ms Jowell was cleared in March of breaching Britain's code of conduct for ministers after she said she was not aware of the $600,000 payment. However, the inquiry made no attempt to explain how Dr Mills got the money.

In Italy, a judge must decide whether an accused person should stand trial before formal charges are filed.