Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived Monday at a court in Milan where he is facing charges that he paid his former lawyer $600,000 to provide false testimony about his business dealings.

Berlusconi arrived around 0800 GMT and walked straight from his car into the courtroom, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

It is the first time that the 74-year-old premier has appeared before the tribunal in connection with claims that he paid his one-time British lawyer David Mills $600,000 (416,000 euros) to come up with testimony he knew to be false.

The case is one of three ongoing court cases in which Berlusconi is a defendant.

The prime minister is also accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute nicknamed "Ruby the Heart Stealer" and then trying to cover it up through abuse of power.

Berlusconi is also faces allegations of fraud in the purchase of television distribution rights bought by Mediatrade-RTI, part of his Mediaset media empire, but it it not yet decided whether the case should go to trial.