Italian PM hits out at prosecutors

Berlusconi is currently facing allegations that he paid to have sex with an underage girl. But the PM claims the prosecutors’ case was a “pretext” to oust him.

Berlusconi has more than once denied of having paid for sex with Karima El Mahroug, better known as Ruby, when she was 17 and abusing his power to get her released by police after she was detained in another case.

Addressing the media, Berlusconi again insisted the accusations were groundless and that prosecutors were acting subversively.

“I can only say that it’s a farce. They are accusations without any basis. The only aim of the inquiry is to defame me in the media,” he stressed. “But I am not worried about myself. I am a rich man who could spend his time building hospitals around the world, as I have always wanted."

"These acts are violating the law and go against parliament, because Milan's prosecutors have no jurisdiction," Berlusconi said. "It's shameful and disgusting."

"I wonder who's going to pay for these activities that, in my humble view, only have a subversive aim. […] In the end, it will be the state which pay for this. I'll sue the state, of course, because magistrates are not liable. This is something we need to change and will change."

The case is now up to the magistrate to decide if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. If convicted, Italy’s Prime Minister could face up to 15 years in prison.