Rome prosecutors have asked a court to shelve an investigation into whether Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi allegedly abused his office by ferrying personal guests to his private villa on state-financed flights.
The court, which handles allegations of abuse of power by government officials, will now decide whether to accept the prosecutors’ request or continue the probe, Giovanni Ferrara, the lead prosecutor in the case, said in an interview.
Mr. Ferrara’s team has for the past two weeks been looking into whether Mr. Berlusconi transported private guests on a state-owned jet. Mr. Berlusconi has said there was nothing improper because the guests were just hitching a ride on flights that were already carrying official guests to his villa on the island of Sardinia.
Mr. Ferrara said he had asked the court to drop the probe because evidence showed that Mr. Berlusconi was present on the flights. Mr. Berlusconi committed “no damage to the state” by giving musicians and singers a lift on state-planes, Mr. Ferrara said in the interview.
The case against Mr. Berlusconi stems from pictures shot by a photographer at an airport near Villa Certosa, the prime minister and billionaire media mogul’s lavish estate in Sardinia. The photographer also snapped scores of photos of Mr. Berlusconi and his guests at Villa Certosa.
In late May, Mr. Berlusconi’s attorney filed a criminal complaint against the photographer for alleged violation of privacy and attempted blackmail. Acting on the complaint, prosecutors placed the photographer under investigation and seized hundreds of his photos. After reviewing photos taken by the photographer at the Sardinia airport, however, prosecutors decided to also place the prime minister under investigation for allegedly misusing state assets.
Mr. Berlusconi’s personal life has been the focus of public scrutiny since late April, when the prime minister attended the 18th birthday party of an aspiring model. Days later Mr. Berlusconi’s wife Veronica Lario accused him of “consorting with minors” and announced she was seeking a divorce. Mr. Berlusconi has denied having a “spicy” affair with the woman. So far, the controversy hasn’t cut into Mr. Berlusconi’s support among Italian voters.
__________
Full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124515334680318579.html
__________
See also:
Italian voters shrug off wannabe-scandal
If Italian voters disapproved of Silvio Berlusconi’s friendships with young showgirls and underwear models, it sure didn’t register in the polls.
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/italian-voters-shrug-off-wannabe-scandal/
Berlusconi wins party photos ban
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/berlusconi-wins-party-photos-ban/
Prime Minister Berlusconi’s Escapades Finally Raise Eyebrows
Berlusconi denies ’spicy’ affair
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/berlusconi-denies-spicy-affair/
The Crime of the Cavaliere
Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sits near an image of his wife Veronica Lario during the taping of the television program Porta a Porta (”Door to door” in Italian) in Rome May 5, 2009.
The divorce battle in the House of Berlusconi and the gossip over an underage confidante has put the Italian prime minister on the defensive — a feat the opposition has never managed to achieve.
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/the-crime-of-the-cavaliere/
Boorishness Works for Berlusconi
US President Barack Obama (L), Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (C) and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pose for a family photo during the G20 summit at the ExCel centre, in east London, on April 2, 2009. World leaders meet Thursday for a crunch summit of the Group of 20 richest nations aimed at fixing the crisis-wracked global economy.
How can anyone be shocked anymore by Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s top entertainer and its longest-serving prime minister since World War II?
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/boorishness-works-for-berlusconi/
