Italy bars TV cameras from Berlusconi’s ‘Ruby’ trial
April 1st, 2011 - 2:13 am ICT by IANSMilan, April 1 (IANS/AKI) Television crews will be barred from the courtroom where Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is due to be tried for paying for sex with an underage erotic dancer nicknamed ‘Ruby’, according to a Thursday ruling.
Italy’s attorney general Laura Bertole Viale and state prosecutor Manlio Minale signed the ordinance. It reversed an earlier ruling saying that only Italy’s public broadcaster RAI could film the trial, which begins April 6 at a court in the northern Italian city of Milan.
A panel of three women judges will preside over the trial, the court said. The list of defence witnesses include US film star George Clooney and his Italian girlfriend, Elizabetta Canalis, a showgirl.
Prosecutors allege Berlusconi paid for sex with teenage Moroccan nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, whose stagename is Ruby the Heartstealer, on several occasions when she was 17 years old.
He also abused his office by pressuring police in Milan to release her on unrelated theft charges in order to cover up their relationship, according to prosecutors.
Berlusconi and El Mahroug deny they had sex.
Berlusconi, who is already facing three trials, denies all wrongdoing and claims he is the victim of a conspiracy of leftfwing magistrates.
–IANS/AKI
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- Italian PM's sex trial adjourned - Apr 06, 2011
- Ruby's haste to wed boyfriend riles Catholic Church - Apr 28, 2011
- Berlusconi trial: Ruby 'can't wait' to tell her story - May 21, 2011
- 'Berlusconi had sex with underage Moroccan 13 times' - Mar 16, 2011
- Milan prosecutors seek immediate trial for Berlusconi - Feb 09, 2011
- Italy 'in turmoil' over new sex disclosures - Jan 20, 2011
- Berlusconi to write memoir on his private life - Aug 24, 2011
- Prosecutors to request Berlusconi trial over 'Rubygate' - Feb 09, 2011
- Berlusconi says he isn't worried about upcoming sex trial - Feb 17, 2011
- Berlusconi admits paying cash to underage dancer - Apr 12, 2011
- Woman at centre of Berlusconi sex scandal set to marry - Mar 04, 2011
- Berlusconi had 13 'sexual acts' with under age hooker 'Ruby the Heart Stealer' - Mar 16, 2011
- Ruby the heart stealer gives birth to girl - Dec 21, 2011
- Berlusconi's wiretapped conversations released ahead of trial - Apr 06, 2011
- Prosecutors may widen Berlusconi sex probe - Feb 08, 2011
Tags: city of milan, defence witnesses, elizabetta canalis, george clooney, italian prime minister, magistrates, manlio minale, northern italian city, prime minister silvio, prime minister silvio berlusconi, public broadcaster, silvio berlusconi, snb, state prosecutor, television crews, theft charges, three women, tv cameras, viale, women judges