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Berlusconi associates guilty of procuring prostitutes | Berlusconi associates guilty of procuring prostitutes |
(35 minutes later) | |
Three associates of former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi have been found guilty of procuring prostitutes for his controversial "bunga bunga" parties. | Three associates of former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi have been found guilty of procuring prostitutes for his controversial "bunga bunga" parties. |
Emilio Fede, Lele Mora and Nicole Minetti were given jail sentences of between five and seven years. | Emilio Fede, Lele Mora and Nicole Minetti were given jail sentences of between five and seven years. |
Last month Mr Berlusconi was given seven years in jail for paying for sex with 17-year-old Karima El Mahroug. | Last month Mr Berlusconi was given seven years in jail for paying for sex with 17-year-old Karima El Mahroug. |
Both Mr Berlusconi and Ms Mahroug deny having had sex, and she says she has never been a prostitute. | Both Mr Berlusconi and Ms Mahroug deny having had sex, and she says she has never been a prostitute. |
Ms Mahroug is one of the women that the three associates in the current trial are alleged to have procured. | Ms Mahroug is one of the women that the three associates in the current trial are alleged to have procured. |
Mr Berlusconi was also banned from public office in the earlier ruling, which he is appealing against. He remains a free man while he does so. | Mr Berlusconi was also banned from public office in the earlier ruling, which he is appealing against. He remains a free man while he does so. |
Mr Berlusconi insists the alleged sex parties were actually dinners where female guests performed "burlesque" dancing. | Mr Berlusconi insists the alleged sex parties were actually dinners where female guests performed "burlesque" dancing. |
Raunchy dance | |
The three sentenced in the current trial deny the charges and are likely to appeal. | |
The prosecution said they used to vet the young women and then introduce them to Mr Berlusconi's soirees at his mansion near Milan, the BBC's Alan Johnston reports from Rome. | |
The prosecution said the evenings would begin with dinner, but become increasingly sexually charged, our correspondent adds. | |
The court heard of an occasion when Ms Minetti, formerly a showgirl, performed a raunchy dance for the then prime minister. | |
She appeared dressed as a nun and then stripped down to her underwear. | |
Mr Berlusconi has blamed the multiple legal cases against him on left-wing elements in the judiciary, who he says are determined to smear him, and drive him out of politics. |