London: Silvio Berlusconi is again in trouble – this time accused of hiring prostitutes – three at the same time.
Maria Teresa "Terry" De Nicolo, a 38-year-old escort claimed that she and two others from Rome had been invited to visit Berlusconi. She claimed the prime minister gave her jewellery, but also said that all the invited women received such gifts.
According to The Guardian, De Nicolo claims that the prime minister gave her presents on a night when she and two other women shared his bed, according to a report in the Italian daily La Repubblica.
She said that a businessman, Gianpaolo Tarantini, paid them to make the visit.
Tarantini, who denied the claims, has not been indicted.
Tarantini told prosecutors he was trying to ingratiate himself with Berlusconi, who introduced him to a junior minister with a large budget at his disposal, but Tarantini did not receive any government contracts as a result.
Now, Berlusconi has to face a key vote in the chamber of deputies before meeting with David Cameron in Rome.
However, his longstanding ally Gianfranco Fini has announced that he would abstain from the ballot.
Meanwhile, Berlusconi maintained that he was unaware the women were paid.
De Nicolo told her interrogators about "the hours I slept alone and the hours when, instead, some hours, I was with these girls, these two from Rome, and Berlusconi."
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.