MILAN: Premier Silvio Berlusconi has skipped a hearing in a trial in which he is accused of bribing a British lawyer to lie on the stand. Berlusconi’s lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, said Berlusconi’s presence wasn’t foreseen at Friday’s technical hearing but that Berlusconi would attend when there were issues of substance at hand, starting on Feb 13. Berlusconi is accused of ordering the 1997 payment of $600,000 to lawyer David Mills in exchange for his false testimony at two hearings in other corruption cases. Berlusconi and Mills have denied wrongdoing. Mills is appealing his conviction in the case.