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Italy: “Bunga Bunga”, “Silly Old Silvio”, And The Law …

  • January 15th, 2011
  • Posted by EUEditor

berlusconi-two-2001-ecthumbnail1.jpgLawyers in Italy are dogged in pursuing their fun-guy Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi (picture), who is under investigation again – this time over claims that he paid off a teenage prostitute who attended one of his household parties.

ruby-rubacuori.jpgThe law in Italy forbids payment to girls under 18, and Karima El Mahroug, a runaway from Morocco going by the stage name “Ruby Rubacuori” (Ruby Heartstealer) (picture), says she was 17 when paid €7000 (A$9476; xe.com, 15.1.11) for indulging in what she calls “Bunga Bunga” – wild party stuff – at Silvio’s villa near Milan, last year.

Magistrates in that Northern city have started an inquiry into the case, in which both the bishop and the showgirl, as it were, deny that they had a sexual relationship.

The Magistrates also want to know if he abused his office by intervening to assist the young women to get out of police custody, when faced with a stealing charge.

Mr Berlusconi and his right wing government survived a censure motion in parliament one month ago, (See EUAustralia Online, “Berlusconi holds on”, 14.12.10); though certain courts, as has happened before, have been closing in on him, obtaining exemptions to a law giving him immunity from prosecution, as Prime Minister.

He has been accused of official corruption and tax fraud, and at 74, has often enough raised eyebrows over his enjoyment of the company of girls, which he puts down to part of being Italian. (See EUAustralia Online, “Roman holiday?”, 27.5.09; “Another strike for silly old Silvio”, 5.4.09).

The personal attacks on the head of government, and a split in the ranks of the governing coalition, have fuelled fresh speculation that Italy may have to go to early elections – though the man and his allies have seen-off similar challenges time and again.

Reference

Natalia Dannenberg, Rob Turner, (Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP), “Berlusconi faces criminal enquiry over sex with a teenage girl”, Deutsche Welle, Bonn, 14.1.11.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14767722,00.html, (15.1.11).

Peter Walker, “Ruby Rubacuori could finally bring down Silvio Berlusconi”, The Guardian, Manchester, 14.1.11. www.guardian.co.uk, (15.1.11).

Pictures

Berlusconi, “Ruby Rubacuori” – abnormal-psychology.info