Italy's Berlusconi sex trial gets underway

ROME, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The trial over Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's sex scandal will begin Wednesday, but a top aide said Berlusconi would not appear in court.

Nor will television cameras, as Italian Attorney General Laura Bertole Viale and State Prosecutor Manilio Minale agreed to reverse a previous ruling that would have allowed state broadcaster RAI to film the trial. They said the ruling was changed to prevent the hearing from becoming a "circus."

But it seems impossible to prevent that. Protesters and supporters have both said they would gather in front of the Milan courthouse, where the trial will start at 9:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) Wednesday.

Hundreds of journalists have been reporting on every micro development from the case ever since it was announced in February. And the witness list includes American movie star George Clooney and his showgirl girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis.

Berlusconi is charged with paying for sex with a minor, a then-17-year-old cabaret dancer called Karima el-Mahroug, known by her nickname "Ruby the Heart Stealer."

The leader is also charged with abusing his position as prime minister to cover up his connection with el-Mahroug by pressuring police to release her from custody after she was detained over separate theft allegations.

The trial seems to be a kind of drama compared to the two other Berlusconi trials, where he faces much more technical charges including tax evasion and bribery.

According to Cabinet Undersecretary Gianni Letta, Berlusconi's closest aide, the prime minister will not be present for Wednesday's opening hearing, which is expected to focus mostly on procedural matters.

There is a chance that the trial could be aborted before it really gets under way. Italian lawmakers started debate Tuesday on a measure that could slow or even halt the proceedings.

They will decide whether the Milan court is the appropriate venue for the hearing, with Berlusconi's lawyers arguing that he should be tried before a special minister's tribunal given that the abuse of power charges relate to Berlusconi's position as prime minister.

However, the Constitutional Court ruled in March that the Milan court had the authority to handle the case.

But if parliament contradicts that ruling, the Constitutional Court would be forced to rule again and confirm the tribunal members.

Regardless of the parliamentary vote, Wednesday's hearing will take place. But if legislators vote against the court's authority, it means the trial could be halted in the future.

Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon who controls three of Italy's seven national television networks, denied wrongdoing in the case involving el-Mahroug as well as the others and insisted that he is a victim of the corrupt Italian judiciary.

As the cases approached, his ruling coalition fractured and his popularity dropped to nearly a historical low, but at least so far, his grip on power does not seem at risk.

Since he entered public life in 1994, Berlusconi has faced at least 17 official criminal and civil allegations.


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Legal role for Clooney

Silvio Berlusconi’s defense lawyers yesterday named George Clooney as a witness at the Italian prime minister’s upcoming prostitution trial. Berlusconi, 74, is accused of having paid for sex with a 17-year-old Moroccan, known as Ruby, and using his influence to try to cover it up. Clooney was listed because Ruby once said she had seen the Hollywood star and his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis at one of Berlusconi’s parties, according to the law firm representing Berlusconi.

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http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2011/03/30/legal_role_for_clooney/

Rallies across Italy protest Berlusconi's sex scandal

Milan, Italy (CNN) -- Thousands of Italians took to the streets in some 200 cities across the country Sunday in protest of Prime Minister's Silvio Berlusconi's alleged behavior toward women.

The largest gathering was in Rome, where organizers said 100,000 people gathered, under the slogan, "If not now, when?" In Milan, organizers estimated that 60,000 people gathered. Protests also took place outside Italy, including marches in Tokyo and Geneva.

Sunday's demonstrations were the biggest anti-Berlusconi rallies since the most recent sex scandal broke in January, when Milan prosecutors said they were investigating whether the prime minister abused his power by helping an underaged woman, who he had allegedly paid for sex, get out of jail on a theft charge.

Berlusconi has denied that he has ever paid anyone for sex. A string of sex scandals have dogged him.

The protests were organized by women's groups and publicized by internet. The turnout surprised the organizers, who didn't want the demonstrations to be political, though that's what they became.

One woman who came with her family to the Milan rally told CNN that she was "fed up with the way women are portrayed as objects in the Italian media. The way that young girls are glorified by their looks and youth and then what? I don't want my daughter to grow up thinking that that is the only way to be ... that the only thing that matters is to be pretty and show off their legs. ... We are more than that."

In Milan, demonstrators had banners that said, "Stop the merchandising of women," and "Berlusconi enough. You bring us shame."

Many of the speakers at the Milan rally criticized the way Berlusconi's sex scandal made Italy look, his behavior towards women and his promoting ex-show girls to high government positions.

Protesters said leaked evidence from the investigation show he has little respect for female dignity, the state-run ANSA news agency reported.

Wiretaps published in the media suggest he surrounded himself at parties at his home with starlets and other women hoping to use their looks to gain positions in politics or at Berlusconi's Mediaset TV empire, ANSA reported.

The investigation began in December, after Berlusconi called police in May, urging them to release Karima El Mahrough, nicknamed Ruby, from jail, where she was being held on theft charges.

Prosecutors say the activity took place from February until May 2010. Both El Mahrough, now 18, and Berlusconi have denied they ever had sex.

El Mahrough said she did not know Berlusconi well but that she did receive 7,000 euros (about $9,300) from him the first time they met, on Valentine's Day 2010, because a friend told Berlusconi she needed help.

The young woman's former roommate told investigators that El Mahrough confided to her that she did have a sexual relationship with the premier.

Berlusconi's party argued that he believed that Ruby was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's niece and the phone call to the police station on her behalf was done to avoid a possible diplomatic crisis with Egypt.

The lower house of Italy's Parliament voted against allowing Milan prosecutors to search property belonging to Berlusconi as part of the investigation.

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http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/02/13/italy.berlusconi/?hpt=T2

News Analysis: Berlusconi's latest trial could decide his political fate

ROME, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Italian prosecutors on Wednesday filed a 782-page request making the case that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is guilty of abusing the power of his high office and of paying for sex with a minor. Many in Italy say the outcome of the case may decide Berlusconi's political fate.

Berlusconi has faced at least 17 official criminal and civil allegations since he first entered Italian politics in 1994. But this time things could be different, as pollsters say the accusations are resonating with a weary Italian public, and the case appears to be well-constructed to make a conviction more likely.

The investigation got underway in December on allegations that the 74-year-old prime minister paid for sex with a Moroccan-born cabaret dancer named Karima el Mahrough, better known by her stage name "Ruby." She was 17 at the time.

Prosecutors also alleged that Berlusconi tried to use his influence to have el Mahrough released from prison, where she was held on charges of theft.

Berlusconi reportedly lied to police by claiming that el Mahrough was the niece of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and that they should release her in order to avoid a diplomatic crisis.

In Italy, the age of consent in regard to sexual relations is 14, and prostitution itself is not illegal.

But paying for sex with a minor, which in Italy refers to anyone under the age of 18, is a crime punishable by up to three years in jail. Both Berlusconi and el Mahrough deny sexual relations, though el Mahrough admits Berlusconi did give her money.

The abuse of power allegation is even more serious, carrying the penalty of up to 12 years behind bars.

The case has made frontpage stories in Italian newspapers ever since it became public, and pollsters have told Xinhua that many Italians worry the issue is distracting Berlusconi from his job as prime minister, at a time when the country is gripped by slow growth and rising unemployment.

Prosecutor Edmundo Bruti Liberati's office has requested a fast- track trial, a move that will limit the arguments on both sides, and also make it less likely that the statute of limitations will expire before a decision can be made.

Berlusconi has escaped prosecution several times in the past because of statute of limitations laws. The fast-track process also limits the kind of charges that can be made, which in this case means prosecutors have focused on the charges they think would be the easiest to prove in court.

Judge Cristina di Censo will now have three options: she can grant a fast-track trial; she can dismiss the request and demand a deeper investigation into whether any wrongdoing actually took place; or she can decide that her court does not have the jurisdiction.

That last option is what Berlusconi's lawyers are fighting for, by claiming that the crimes are alleged to have taken place in Rome and Sardinia -- not in Milan, and that the Milan court does not have the authority to try a prime minister.

Di Censo said on Wednesday that she would make her decision by next Monday or Tuesday. If di Censo allows the fast-track hearing, it could get underway within a month, though Italian media reports said that it is more likely to start near mid-year.

Because of a decision by Italy's top court to strip away most protections in a controversial immunity law that would have prevented criminal investigations into Berlusconi and other top leaders, it is possible that Berlusconi will be required to appear in court on these latest charges.

If that really happens, it will be the first time that a sitting Italian prime minister is required to appear before a judge to answer accusations.


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Protesters stage rally outside Berlusconi's villa

ROME — Clashes broke out between police and hundreds of demonstrators staging fresh protests against Italy's scandal-plagued prime minister Silvio Berlusconi outside his villa, local media reported.

"Resign, resign!" the protesters shouted at the gates of Berlusconi's private villa in the Milan suburb of Arcore, where he was spending the weekend.

Roughly a hundred protesters tried to break a security cordon erected several hundred metres from Berlusconi's residence, sparking clashes with riot police whom they pelted with bottles and other objects.

A banner demanded "Prostitutes out of the state," in an apparent reference to allegations that Berlusconi had paid for sex with prostitutes at wild parties in the mansion, allegations the prime minister has denied.

Another clash took place in front of Arcore's train station with several officers, demonstrators and a journalist injured, police said. Police arrested two protesters.

The protests were organised by the "Purple People" an anti-Berlusconi group on the Internet which previously held a "No Berlusconi Day" in 2009.

Judges are set to request this week that Berlusconi stand trial, while the 74-year-old has remained defiant, vowing to stay in office.

The inquiry into Berlusconi's alleged liaisons with prostitutes was first reported last month and has dominated Italian newspapers since then.

On Saturday, thousands of people gathered in Milan in another anti-Berlusconi demonstration that included prominent writers Umberto Eco and Roberto Saviano.

In a separate development, a group of online activists known as "Anonymous" launched attacks Sunday against the Italian government's website, citing political grievances, ANSA news agency reported.

"Anonymous" announced its assaults earlier in the day, saying they were launched because "the political and economic situation in Italy has become unstable."

In particular, the group attacked the judiciary system and government, which it said was "implicated in prostitution, including minors," an apparent reference to the sex scandal dogging Berlusconi.

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Berlusconi narrowly wins confidence vote

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi survived an important vote of no confidence by the narrowest of margins Tuesday but emerged with a severely weakened mandate that has thrown doubt on his ability to govern effectively.

The 314-311 vote in the lower house of Parliament was a fresh demonstration of the billionaire politician's Houdini-like knack for escape. Although Berlusconi had insisted that he would prevail, the outcome was on a knife edge going in to the vote, even after days of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations.

But the wafer-thin victory suggests it will be difficult for him to pass legislation or enact his center-right agenda, prolonging the sense of political paralysis gripping Italy. For months, Berlusconi has been battling corruption probes into his business dealings and a series of scandals surrounding his private life, including allegations that he threw lavish parties attended by prostitutes.

His polarizing influence was on display Tuesday both inside and outside Parliament, where he faced confidence votes in the Senate and, more important, in the sharply divided lower house.

On the streets of Rome, anti-Berlusconi protesters torched cars and smashed shop windows, clashing with police in riot gear, who fired tear gas at the crowds. Dozens of officers were reported injured.

Large demonstrations also were reported in other parts of the country, including the cities of Palermo and Turin.

Inside the Chamber of Deputies, a scuffle between lawmakers broke out when one legislator, who had been expected to vote against Berlusconi, changed her mind and supported him instead.

When the final tally was announced, the prime minister's allies erupted in cheers, while his opponents sat stony faced or filed quickly out of the chamber.

In a debate before the vote, Pierluigi Bersani, the leader of the center-left Democratic Party, blamed Berlusconi for perpetuating Italy's political woes. Even if Berlusconi defeated the censure motion, Bersani said, it would be "a Pyrrhic victory" because his government would remain unstable.

But on Monday, the embattled premier staunchly defended his record in speeches before both houses of Parliament, and warned that jettisoning him would be an act of madness at a time of extreme economic delicacy because of the crisis over the euro.

Berlusconi also extended an olive branch to some of his political foes, suggesting that he would re-formulate his government to include them and their views.

Still, international markets have shown increasing concern over Italy's political situation and its ability to tackle the government's budget deficit and one of the biggest burdens of public debt in Europe. Borrowing costs for Rome have lately hit alarmingly high levels, and investors are now left to wonder whether Berlusconi will be able to push through the structural changes the Italian economy needs to become more competitive.

Earlier Tuesday, in the first of the two confidence motions in Parliament, the Senate reaffirmed its support of Berlusconi by a comfortable margin. That was expected, because his ruling coalition commands a safe majority in the upper chamber.

But in the lower house, the outcome of the second motion was so unpredictable that vote counters found themselves scrutinizing the health of three pregnant lawmakers, who had vowed to vote against Berlusconi but who were at risk of going into labor at any moment. The absence of any one of them could possibly tip the scales.

In the end, all three women managed to show up in Parliament, though one had to arrive in an ambulance and another was confined to a wheelchair. Their allies cheered as they cast their votes against the prime minister.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-italy-berlusconi-vote-20101215,0,5951173.story

Suddenly, Silvio Berlusconi appears politically mortal

Silvio Berlusconi considers himself the ultimate survivor. He has been Italy’s Prime Minister three times since 1994 and intends to keep going, for decades if he gets his way. He recently told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that he will live to 120, and his doctor once called him “almost immortal.”

While Mr. Belusconi, 74, does appear to be in rude good health, it now looks like his political career may die well before the body does. On Tuesday, the billionaire media magnate, career skirt chaser and prosecutors’ target faces a confidence vote in the Senate, which he’s expected to win, and a second in the government’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, which he may not.

James Walston, professor of international relations at the American University of Rome, said Tuesday is “crunch time” for Mr. Berlusconi.

The math suggests he will narrowly lose the Chamber vote. If that happens, he will have to offer his resignation and his centre-right People of Freedom party will fall, two years before his political mandate was to expire. The effort to form a new centre-right coalition government would then begin immediately.

Should it fail, an election would be called while a succession battle gets under way. One of the contenders to replace Mr. Berlusconi is Giulio Tremonti, the respected Minister of Finance and Economy who is credited with saving Italy from economic calamity, if not pain. Italy is Europe’s most indebted country and the prices of its sovereign bonds have been sinking as the debt contagion spreads. Economists fear that a political crisis on top of an economic one would send the bonds plunging, damaging or even reversing Italy’s tentative recovery.

Even if Mr. Berlusconi survives the vote, there is a sense that his government, weakened by defections of one-time allies as his scandal count rises and his popularity falls, will not be long for this world. Indeed, the newspapers are full of comments that l’era di Berlusconi is finally coming to an inglorious end, no matter which way the vote goes.

Mr. Berlusconi was pleading Monday for political longevity. In a remarkably restrained speech before the Senate in Rome, he appealed for support amid the European debt crisis, which has felled Greece and Ireland and threatens to engulf Italy, the third-biggest economy among the 16 European Union countries that share the euro. “If your concern over Italy’s difficult situation is honest and real, then the only possible way forward is renewing confidence in my government,” he said, adding, “We guarantee stability in securing the interests of the country.”

Mr. Berlusconi was once wildly popular in Italy. He had everything –money, beautiful women and villas, ownership of the top-rated AC Milan soccer cluband the calming conviction that Italy would get through the financial and economic crisis with minimal damage. But last summer his ratings began to dip, the result of a string of scandals involving teenage girls, alleged prostitutes and the belief among many voters’ that the aging Lothario was clinging to power merely to make himself immune from the court cases that accuse him of fraud and corruption.

As the scandals gathered pace in the autumn, his government suffered defections. The worst blow came when Gianfranco Fini, the Chamber Speaker who had been one of Mr. Berlusconi’s main allies, yanked his support and launched an internal revolt against the Prime Minister. On Sunday, Mr. Fini used a television interview to denounce Mr. Berlusconi once again, ending any hope that the two men could broker a peace agreement ahead of Tuesday’s confidence vote.

Since then, Mr. Berlusconi has been working frantically to find enough support to win the Chamber vote; it is thought that two or three votes might be enough to swing the battle in his favour. Rome prosecutors have opened an investigation into whether the Berlusconi camp has tried to bribe certain lawmakers, among them three pregnant Opposition deputies who are close to giving birth and were not expected to attend the vote, to support him.

Umberto Bossi, the leader of the increasingly powerful Northern League, an anti-immigrant party that advocates regional autonomy for the wealthy north of Italy, on Monday said Mr. Berlusconi (whom he considers an ally) may step down and seek an election even if he survives the confidence votes. Mr. Berlusconi “cannot govern with a majority of just one,” he told the media.

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