Jowell's husband faces indictment by Italian prosecutors

David Mills, the husband of the culture secretary Tessa Jowell, said last night that he had been informed by Italian prosecutors that they planned to charge him with corruption in connection with an alleged $600,000 (£345,000) bribe they allege he took from the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

Italian media reported that the prosecutors in Milan had completed their inquiry and notified the two men's lawyers that they intend to seek their indictment. The lawyers have a month to offer evidence to dissuade the prosecutors from proceeding.

Mr Mills, an international lawyer who helped Mr Berlusconi set up a network of offshore companies, has already been accused of tax fraud and money laundering. Committal proceedings are being held in Milan to decide if he should be sent for trial on the original set of charges.

This month police searched the British lawyer's London office as part of an international investigation into Mr Berlusconi's business affairs.

Mr Mills has denied all the allegations. Last night he told the Guardian: "I am completely innocent of the charge of corruption. And the prosecutors know that perfectly well. This is just mischievous."

He said he had given them "irrefutable evidence" that the payment in question did not come from Mr Berlusconi or anybody connected with him. He suspected that the pursuit of the allegations was linked to political developments in Italy.

The latest news concerning the case broke four days after the launch of Italy's general election campaign in which Mr Berlusconi hopes to gain another five-year term in April. The decision on whether to seek an indictment of the prime minister and his former legal adviser is likely to be made public about three weeks before polling.

Mr Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, who also sits in parliament for the prime minister's Forza Italia party, said: "I find it extraordinary that an inquiry that has lasted for many years should find a resolution at this very moment." Reports in Italy have said that laws passed by Mr Berlusconi's government put pressure on prosecutors to wrap up their inquiry. A bill approved last year reduces the statute of limitations on a variety of offences and could lead to charges against Mr Mills and Mr Berlusconi being "timed out" unless they are brought soon.

Committal proceedings began in October to decide whether Mr Mills, Mr Berlusconi and others should stand trial in a case involving the alleged illegal trading of television film rights through offshore companies. Seven months earlier it had been reported that Mr Mills and Mr Berlusconi were under investigation, suspected of corruption, in connection with the case. Both men were invited to answer questions in November in this second inquiry. Mr Mills' Italian lawyer, Federico Cecconi, told the Guardian he had declined this request because his client had supplied the prosecutors with a detailed explanation. According to newspaper reports, the inquiry concerned a payment to Mr Mills in 1997. They claim it was made so that he would provide false testimony in cases in which Mr Berlusconi was accused, but not convicted, of bribing tax investigators and making secret political donations.

Mr Berlusconi has repeatedly claimed he is the victim of a political campaign. Mr Mills says he has always acted within the law.