244 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
244 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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worldnews
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silvio-berlusconi
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8385477
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# Silvio Berlusconi laughs off '33 women' claims
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## Silvio Berlusconi has ridiculed claims by Italian prosecutors that he paid
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33 women for sex in a matter of months, saying he would need the stamina of a
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man one third his age to maintain such a private life.
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![Silvio Berlusconi laughs off '33 women' claims ][1]
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Image 1 of 2
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Silvio Berlusconi and Karima El Mahroug, better known by her stage name as
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Ruby the Heart Stealer Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
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![Silvio Berlusconi has ridiculed claims by Italian prosecutors that he paid
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33 women for sex in a matter of months][2]
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Image 1 of 2
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Three of the 33 women alleged to have been paid for sex: (from left) Barbara
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Faggioli, Raffaella Fico and Francesca Cipriani Photo: REX FEATURES
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By Nick Squires, Rome 1:05PM GMT 16 Mar 2011
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The [**Italian**][3] prime minister, who will stand trial on April 6 on
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charges of having sex with an under age prostitute and abuse of office,
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launched an angry defence against the accusations, contained in court
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documents which were released on Tuesday.
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"I'm 74 years old and even though I may be a bit of a rascal ... 33 girls in
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two months seems to me too much even for a 30 year old."
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He condemned investigators for citing the women in their dossier because "for
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the rest of their lives they will be branded with an indelible label -
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prostitute".
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He claimed to have a long-standing "girlfriend", whom he did not identify, who
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he said would never have allowed him to behave in such a way.
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"If I'd done everything they say I've done, she'd have gouged my eyes out. And
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I can tell you, she has very long finger nails."
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## Related Articles
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* [Berlusconi's 'bunga bunga' parties][4]
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23 Mar 2011
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* [Silvio Berlusconi's women][5]
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16 Mar 2011
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* [Silvio Berlusconi's ratings hit record low][6]
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17 Mar 2011
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* ['Berlusconi's 13 sex acts with Ruby'][7]
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15 Mar 2011
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* [Silvio Berlusconi in the dock: the most significant allegations against
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him][8]
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15 Feb 2011
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* [Three Berlusconi friends face trial][9]
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15 Mar 2011
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He said he had paid for dentistry bills, university tuition fees and medical
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treatment on behalf of his female friends, but that he did so out of personal
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generosity, seeking nothing in return. "I'm a walking charity," he said. "I'm
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happy to be able to do it."
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He made the remarks to La Repubblica, a Left-leaning national newspaper that
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has repeatedly called for his resignation over the prostitution scandal.
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Prosecutors have accused the 33 women of prostituting themselves for money,
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jewellery and other gifts with the billionaire tycoon, who denies all the
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allegations.
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They include the Moroccan-born teenage erotic dancer at the heart of the
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scandal, Karima El Mahroug, now 18, better known by her stage name as Ruby the
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Heart Stealer.
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Prosecutors say the women took part in "bunga bunga" orgies at Mr Berlusconi's
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imposing residence at Arcore, near Milan, involving "masks, stripteases and
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erotic dances" in which they "touched each other mutually or were touched in
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their intimate areas by Silvio Berlusconi."
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The prime minister denied paying the women for sex, saying they simply
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attended private dinners held at his mansion.
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"I can't believe that the justice system is being used in such a barbaric away
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and so far from reality.
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"They were cheerful, elegant dinners. The women went for a little dance in the
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disco - on their own because I've never liked dancing. Nothing more than that.
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"I will go on television to explain everything - to defend myself and to
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defend these women."
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He also vowed to turn up for every hearing in the four trials in which he is
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now involved. The three others involve allegations of corruption, bribery and
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tax fraud relating to companies in his multi-billion pound media empire.
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Prosecutors presented their fresh batch of evidence on Tuesday to support
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demands for three associates of the prime minister to be sent to trial for
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allegedly procuring prostitutes for him.
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They are: Nicole Minetti, a former showgirl and dental hygienist who now
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represents Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party in Lombardy's regional
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assembly; Emilio Fede, a television anchorman and news presenter; and Lele
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Mora, a celebrity agent.
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Mr Fede, the director of one of the prime minister's television channels, is
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alleged to have talent-spotted the then 16-year-old Miss El Mahroug at a
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beauty pageant in Sicily in Sept 2009 and to have then recruited her for the
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bunga bunga parties.
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[What are these?][11]
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* Share: [Share][10] [ ][12] [ ][13]
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[Tweet][14]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/silvio-berlusconi/8385477/Silvio-
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Berlusconi-laughs-off-33-women-claims.html
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Telegraph
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## [Silvio Berlusconi][15]
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* ### [News »][16]
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* ### [World News »][17]
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* ### [Europe »][18]
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* ### [Italy »][3]
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In news
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[![Silvio Berlusconi and the 'bunga bunga' parties in pictures][19] ][4]
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### [Berlusconi's 'bunga bunga' parties][4]
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[![Silvio Berlusconi has ridiculed claims by Italian prosecutors that he paid
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33 women for sex in a matter of months][20] ][5]
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### [Silvio Berlusconi's women][5]
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[![][21] ][22]
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### [Ruby 'the heart stealer' cashes in][22]
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[![Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, left, and Karima El Mahroug: Silvio
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Berlusconi 'spent 240,000 on cars for his showgirls'][23] ][24]
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### [Silvio Berlusconi on trial][24]
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[![Silvio Berlusconi could face trial over an under age prostitute scandal
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within weeks in what would be his 2,569th court hearing. ][25] ][26]
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### [Berlusconi: 'sex allegations embarrassing'][26]
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[X][10] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][11]
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Share:
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* [ ][10]
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* [ ][12]
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* [ ][13]
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* [Tweet][14]
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* Advertisement
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![][27]
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Advertisement
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sponsored features
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### [Gil Scott-Heron: 'A voice for Shakespeare'][30]
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[![Gil Scott-Heron][31]][30]
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Composer, musician, poet and author whose writing provided a vivid commentary
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on the black American experience.
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### [Beekeeping diary: the new colonies arrive][32]
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