Berlusconi "goes to bitches"

Berlusconi' s harem of 14 women revealed. Italy's Prime Minister has bounced back from countless scandals, but the latest allegations may prove disastrous. The Independent

Solo un día después de que el Tribunal Constitucional limitase el escudo judicial de Silvio Berlusconi, la Fiscalía de Milán anunció que ha abierto una investigación contra el primer ministro italiano, de 74 años, al que imputa los delitos de prostitución infantil agravada y abuso de poder.
El Pais

The Italian prime minister is under investigation on suspicion of paying for sex with a teenage nightclub dancer and abuse of office by intervening with police when she was detained.
Financial Times

The probe centres on 74-year-old Mr Berlusconi's relationship with a belly dancer called Karima el Mahroug, then 17, who was a guest at a party he hosted at his home last year. The extortion accusation centres on the pressure he put on Milan police to release the exotic dancer - nicknamed Ruby Rubacuori (Ruby The Heartstealer) - after she'd been arrested on suspicion of theft. Mr Berlusconi joked that Boccassini and her colleagues were just 'jealous' not to have been invited to the parties at his mansion outside Milan. [...] In an interview Miss El Mahroug said that at the party she had been given a diamond necklace, €7,000 and an Audi by Mr Berlusconi who said he 'felt sorry' for her as she told him her life story at the party at his home in Arcore near Milan. Miss El Mahroug said:'I left before midnight. I told him all my problems. He got very upset and he gave me €7,000 and a Damiani necklace. 'He was like a father, I swear. Silvio welcomed me with open arms, he invited me into his house. He was so sweet.' Daily mail

Rome, correspondant - Silvio Berlusconi est redevenu un justiciable (presque) comme les autres après le rejet partiel par la Cour constitutionnelle, jeudi 13 janvier, de la loi dite d'empêchement légitime qui devait le tenir éloigné des tribunaux jusqu'au 31 septembre 2011. Conséquence : les deux procès dans lesquels il est poursuivi à Milan (affaires Mediaset et Mills) vont reprendre. Reste à savoir si le "Cavaliere" prendra place dans le box des accusés. Le Monde

Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is being probed over claims he paid a 17-year-old girl nicknamed Ruby Heartstealer for sex. Berlusconi, 74, has been formally placed under investigation and will also be quizzed over allegations he abused his power by asking police to mount a cover-up. The allegations centre on busty Moroccan belly dancer Karima El Mahroug, now 18, who uses the "Heartstealer" stage name. She told investigators she attended a party at Berlusconi's villa near Milan last year where guests were said to have played a sex game called "bunga bunga". Mahroug has since denied having sex with Berlusconi, but admitted he gave her cash, a diamond necklace and car. The Sun

The investigation will examine allegations that Berlusconi paid to sleep with a nightclub dancer, Karima El Mahroug, known as Ruby the Heartstealer, when she was 17, and subsequently had her freed from a Milan police station – where she was being held on suspicion of theft – by fooling officers into thinking she was the granddaughter of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak. If found guilty, the 74-year-old prime minister faces up to 15 years in jail. The Guardian

"I deduced that they're just jealous and are teasing me for not having been invited as well." He said he had been placed under investigation more than 100 times, been on trial in 28 cases, paid euro300 million ($400 million) in legal and other fees - and never once been convicted. "I can't wait to defend myself in court against such absurd accusations," he said. "But I don't think a continued war between politicians and some magistrates is in the country's interests, and for that reason the majority wanted the (immunity) law." He said the "grotesque and ridiculous" attempts by magistrates to go after him showed the need to urgently "prevent some magistrates from violating the privacy of citizens and compromising their liberty with impunity." Berlusconi's attorneys, Nicolo Ghedini and Piero Longo, said probe represented a "very serious interference in the prime minister's private life that has no precedent in the country's judicial history." They called the case media-driven, and said the allegations "have already been refuted by all witnesses and people directly involved." charlotteobserver.com

Le scandale avait fait la Une de la presse italienne pendant plusieurs jours, avant d'être laissé de côté. L'affaire s'appelle le Ruby Gate, du nom d'une jeune Marocaine que Berlusconi aurait voulu protéger et qu'il aurait embauché comme call girl. Mais à présent que le Cavaliere n'est plus entièrement protégé par la loi dite «d'empêchement légitime», invalidée jeudi par le Conseil Constitutionnel, la justice compte bien avoir le dernier mot. Elle vient d'ouvrir une enquête sur Berlusconi, qu'elle soupçonne d'abus de fonction et de prostitution sur mineure. Le Figaro

"Nos encontramos ante el enésimo teorema construido a propósito para echar fango sobre mi persona y sobre mi papel institucional en el intento, ilusorio, de eliminarme de la escena política. Pero esta vez se ha superado todo límite. El fango le volverá a quien usa la Justicia como arma política", afirma Berlusconi. "Esta nueva maquinación judicial, aunque es potente y ha sido ampliada por el habitual circuito mediático, no conseguirá detenernos ni apartarnos de nuestro compromiso de cambiar el país. Tampoco lo conseguirán esta vez", agrega. El Mundo

Si parlava solo di Russia e di filosofia secondo Raissa Skorkina, una show girl italo russa: "Sono amica di Silvio da dieci anni, o nove, o otto non mi ricordo bene. Ci siamo conosciuti ad una cena. A quell’uomo voglio un bene dell’anima...", ha raccontato la donna che secondo gli inquirenti è una tra quelle pagate per partecipare ai festini di Arcore. Un’amicizia che sarebbe nata in occasione di una cena. "Io sono esperta e appassionata di politica oltre che di filosofia. Abbiamo parlato della situazione in Russia e in Italia. Mi ha preso in simpatia e io pure. Lo adoro. Non ha bisogno di pagare nessuna donna. E' ricco, affascinante, potente. Figuriamoci se si deve mettere a pagare delle prostitute". [...]
Non è escluso, questa una delle ipotesi al vaglio della difesa, che venga eccepito un legittimo impedimento per il 21, il 22 e il 23 gennaio, le date indicate nella convocazione dei magistrati. In questo modo, pare di capire, si guadagnerebbe il tempo necessario per mettere a punto la strategia processuale: il fascicolo, è la tesi dei legali del Presidente del Consiglio, in primo luogo avrebbe dovuto essere trasmesso subito, o comunque entro 15 giorni dopo la sua iscrizione nel registro degli indagati al Tribunale dei Ministri, senza nemmeno effettuare alcuna attività di indagine come invece è stato fatto con le perquisizioni dell’altro ieri. I legali del premier, dunque, continuano a ritenere che la competenza per i fatti oggetto delle contestazioni non sia della procura di Milano.

Il Giornale