Actor George Clooney among witnesses called to testify in Berlusconi's prostitution case

[News_Editor]

Actor George Clooney among witnesses called to testify in Berlusconi's prostitution case

2011-03-30 04:24:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

MILAN, ITALY (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. actor George Clooney on Tuesday was named as one of the 132 witnesses called to testify by Italian prosecutors for the upcoming trial of Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

According to the ANSA news agency, the list includes prostitutes, television personalities, police officers that are required to testify in the under-age prostitution case against the PM.

Clooney and his Italian girlfriend and actress Elisabetta Canalis were among 78 witnesses listed by Berlusconi's defense team. The U.S. actor owns a villa on Lake Como.

Other witnesses are Argentinean supermodel and actress Belen Rodriguez, TV chat show host Barbara D'Urso, ex-Milan police chief Vincenzo Indolfi, the underage prostitute Karima El Mahroug, better known as Ruby, and 32 alleged prostitutes.

In addition, the list includes the high profile politicians Maria Stella Gelmini, current Education Minister; Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna; Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Culture Minister Giancarlo Galan.

The trial is scheduled to begin on April 6. PM Berlusconi is accused of paying an underage prostitute for sex during one of the Premier's parties at his Milan villa. He is also accused of abuse of power.

Berlusconi, 74, is accused of paying Ruby, a Moroccan belly dancer, for sex in September 2009 when she was only 16 years old. Furthermore, the Premier allegedly committed abuse of power in the same incident.

The PM reportedly phoned police in May and told them the woman (Ruby) they had detained over an allegation of theft was the granddaughter of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Berlusconi claimed that he made the call as Ruby told him she was Mubarak's relative and she was 23 years old.

Under Italian law, using a sex worker under the age of 18 carries a jail term of up to three years, while abuse of office carries a term ranging from six to 12 years. If convicted, Berlusconi faces up to 15 years in prison.

On Monday, Berlusconi appeared in court for a hearing for one of the four trials he faces. In addition to the prostitution scandal, the Premier faces three more regarding fraud offenses.

In Court, the Premier denied any wrong doing and said the charges against him were 'ridiculous'. Furthermore, he described himself as 'the most indicted man in history and in the universe'.

The Italian leader has blamed the leftist opposition of pushing the charges against him in attempt to oust him. However, he vowed to stay as PM until the end of his term in office in 2013. Opposition parties have demanded the dismissal of Berlusconi due to the fraud and prostitution scandals in repeated occasions.

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