An Italian court has sentenced former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in a tax fraud case.

(CNN) -- An Italian court has sentenced former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in a tax fraud case.

He was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday, but three years of that sentence are covered in an amnesty.

Berlusconi, who served on and off as prime minister between 1994 and 2011, is arguably one of the most colorful and controversial figures in the lively history of Italian politics. For years, he has been entangled in fraud, corruption and sex scandals that have often reached Italian courts.