Fri, 28 June 2013. A minor branch of the sex scandal trial gravitating to stripper Karima El Mahroug approaches its end and new leaks about Mr Berlusconi's bunga-bunga nights might come to light, as well as other details about women, girls and others.
Mr Berlusconi's associate Lele Mora relaxing
The
main branch of the trail that followed the rubygate inquiry ended a
few days ago when the former prime minister of Italy Silvio
Berlusconi was sentenced to 7 years in prison (pending appeal, of
course) for child prostitution and abuse of power, but there is a secondary branch of the proceeding – dubbed
Ruby 2 or Ruby bis - where three persons are accused of pimping on
behalf of Mr Berlusconi,
The
three characters – for whom Prosecution demand a 7-year sentence to
each and everyone - are a model-politician, Nicole Minetti, a
journalist-politician, Emilio Fede, and a showbiz agent-bankrupt
manager-bisexual dope pusher, Lele Mora. They are accused of recruiting, testing and keep the females needed for the bunga-bunga parties.
Friday, 7 June, 2013. At the Ruby 2 trial Nicole Minetti denies having had “sex for money” and reveals that it was “true love” if she was hosted by Silvio Berlusconi at his villa(s), and reveals unprecedented “media aggression followed by a wave of scorn” against her.
Nicole Minetti in court
On 31 May prosecutors hinted that Nicole Minetti had being “performing sexual acts for money” in Silvio Berlusconi's villa(s), apparently with the former prime minister, during a trial – dubbed Ruby 2, from the name of the main character involved and because the Ruby #1 is the trial against Silvio himself – where Nicole is a defendant, together with Lele Mora and Emilio Fede.
Nicole Minetti is charged with “induction into prostitution”, as a organiser of bunga-bunga parties and recruiter of prostitutes (among them under-age belly dancer Karima El Mahroug aka Ruby the Heartstealer, nickname that dubbed the related proceedings). Proceedings are slowed down by many obstacles, Karima El Mahroug numerous lies didn't help much. but proceedings are always slow in Italy, aren't they? Prosecution asked for a 7-year sentence.
Friday, 31 May, 2013. During the closing arguments of the Ruby case, prosecutors asked for 7-year sentences for any of the Silvio Berlusconi 's friends involved in bunga-bunga parties and related sex scandal, for different reasons, as they illustrated.
Nicole Minetti seems to say: “Sex for money? Me?
Are you serious?”
Nicole Minetti, former regional councillor, showgirl and model (and - according to her - former girlfriend of Silvio Berlusconi), apart for having fulfilled tasks of “intermediation” in the fixing of the bunga-bunga parties, had an active role by “performing sexual acts for money”, according to prosecutor Antonio Sangermano, while women-connoisseurs “associates” Dario Gabriele “Lele” Mora and Emilio Fede “tested – or tasted - the pleasantness of the girls, checked their social-relational skills and then led into the circuit of the evenings” at Berlusconi's villa in Arcore.
They all deserve a reclusion of 7 years, according to the Public Prosecutor.
Tuesday,
December 18, 2012. Invited to Italian state TV talk show “Porta a
Porta” (“Door to Door”) by anchorman and friend Bruno Vespa,
Silvio Berlusconi holds electoral an electoral speech and admits that
if the election will be held in February, his chances to win are
pretty dim.
"After Monti it's my turn"
“You
need... me” begins Silvio Berlusconi on the television screen, participating to Porta a Porta (Door to Door) one of the most viewed TV shows on state owned Rai1, after host Bruno
Vespa showed a footage of the previous night television programme (still on Rai1), where
Oscar-winner Italian actor Roberto Benigni joked about the fact that
it's the sixth time that the tycoon runs for office (“the seventh
time he shall rest” mocked Benigni).
"After Monti, it's my turn again" says Berlusconi's manifesto, projected by Bruno Vespa's staff. This is how things go in Italy, nowadays.
“You
need me and [...] I don't refrain [...] to render the assistance to
those in need” the former Italian prime minister continued, as the
conversation between the politician and business man and the
journalist went on following the usual politician-stooge pattern.
"Don't vote for small parties" warns the People of Liberty's president, founder and main financial backer, look for someone who "has got plenty of common sense", and than enunciates "I have been a winning entrepreneur, in every sector, I have built model cities, worked in the building, publishing and broadcasting industry".
In
reality the only electoral promise coming from Berlusconi is the
abolition of a municipal tax that his government introduced back in
2011 (Decree nr. 23, 14 March 2011), the infamous IMU (“Imposta
municipale propria”, a kind of Council Tax) in order to cover the
expenses left without funds by the repeal of the previous tax on real
proprieties “Imposta comunale sugli immobili” (ICI, “Municipal
Propriety Tax”).
Berlusconi
said that he can aim to get the 40 per cent of the votes, if he gets
enough time on TV to explain his reasons (pardon: his reason) his to
the Italians.
Gotcha!
What
is the alternative to Berlusconi? According to Berlusconi it's a social civil war, just like it (almost) happened in
Greece.
But in
the meantime another clock is ticking: a court set February 4, 2013
as the day for final hearing and judgement of the Rubygate
proceedings. In the trial Silvio Berlusconi is indicted of having
paid for sex an under-age prostitute known as “Ruby the
Heart-Stealer” (the real name is Karima El Mahroug) at his “bunga
bunga” parties, to which Moroccan belly-dancer Karima and droves of
other women were invited. If he gets a conviction, it might influence
his run for office.
Run
Silvio, run! I mean: slow down, Silvio, slow down...
Monday, October 22, 2012. Gets public the news that a Silvio Berlusconi-owned real estate agent bought an apartment from the Neapolitan singer Mariano Apicella, a favourable witness in the Ruby-trial.
Apicella, Berlusconi - always willing to help a friend out -, Vespa
Mariano Apicella is a Neapolitan singer, “personal minstrel" of Silvio Berlusconi - together* they also published a music album, dubbed “Amore Vero” (“True Love”) in November 2011 - and he is a regular guest to the bunga-bunga parties (note: rumours spread that bung-bunga has been renamed squit-squit, but this is another story) at the former Italian PM mansion.
During the hearings of the so-called Ruby-trial (you know, Silvio is accused of having paid for sex with an under-age nightclub dancer, Karima El Mahroug, aka Ruby the Heartbreaker), Apicella testified – he is giving a favourable testimony in the proceedings against Berlusconi – that he had never witnessed any kind of “grope” during the Arcore's Villa San Martino's hedonistic evenings, and he never saw the former Prime Minister “lay his hands on female guests”.
Now, it has come to light (i.e. Mr Apicella told the story to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera) that in June 2011 – the sex trial was already under way, Berlusconi had been indicted a few months before, the list of witnesses was disclosed in April 2011 – a real estate agent called “Dueville” bought an unpretentious apartment in the district Cecchina, in the small town of Albano Laziale from Mariano Apicella, at the price of €280,000 (£226,000). The owner of Dueville Immobiliare is Berlusconi's Dolcedrago (40 per cent) and two other companies linked to Berlusconi's Fininvest (60 per cent).
The Parthenopean minstrel said that Silvio Berlusconi was a person who deals with loads of money and who, open-handedly, wanted to “help me out.” And asked: “Is it forbidden to do a favour for a friend?".
The straightforward answer might be “no”, it is not forbidden to do any lawful favour to friends, but in case of witnesses in a criminal trial, well... the interpretation could be slightly different.
* Silvio Berlusconi is a fervent lyrics writer, he is also co-author with Mariarosaria Rossi of the People of Freedom new anthem, "People of Freedom"
