Teh One Who Knocks
06-01-2012, 10:50 AM
By Nick Pisa - The Daily Mail
Silvio Berlusconi's accountant brought an amazing £16million in cash to the former premier's luxury villa to pay girls who attended his infamous bunga bunga parties, a court has heard.
The eye-watering sum was revealed by Berlusconi's grey-haired accountant Giuseppe Spinelli during two hours of questioning as the trial of the sleazy politician who is accused of paying for sex with a minor continues.
Prosecutors believe dozens of women were given money, cars and jewellery in return for spending the night with him and in return for attending his bunga bunga parties.
http://i.imgur.com/dujUC.jpg
The trial has already heard how women dressed as nuns and police officers before carrying out seductive pole dances for Berlusconi and two of his cronies.
The venue for the parties was the basement in the billionaire media tycoon's villa at Arcore near Milan and Mr Spinelli told the court how he brought the money to the house from his office over a period between 2009 and 2010.
As prosecutors showed him a long list of bankers drafts and withdrawals from the former prime minister's accounts Mr Spinelli said: 'I was just following the orders of Silvio Berlusconi. Every slip had to be personally signed by him and I would then take the money to Arcore.'
'During the week the girls would speak to me and tell me what they needed and then on a Monday I would go to Arcore where I had a meeting with him (Berlusconi) and he would tell me what amounts to put in the envelopes.
'He asked me to bring the money in cash and I would put it in the safe at the villa. In 2009 I brought around €7,665,000 while in 2010 I brought more than €12 million.
'Whenever large sums were needed I would forewarn the bank and they would break it down into smaller amounts for me. The money was for the girls daily living expenses and for bills, that sort of thing. We helped so many people and we still do.
'Some of these girls had come from overseas and had nothing. They all needed help.'
Berlusconi is accused of paying for sex with underage minor Karima El Mahroug, also known as Ruby the Heartbreaker, in February 2010 when she was just 17 years old and therefore technically a minor.
In Italy the age of consent is 14 but paying a woman under 18 for sex is seen as prostitution with a minor and punishable by up to three years in jail.
Mr Spinelli said: 'I gave her less than €10,000, probably around €8,900. One day she came to my office and her face was al bruised and she said her flatmate had beaten her up so I gave her €3,000.
'Another time after I had spoken to Berlusconi about her, I gave her €5,000 and I think on two other occasions when she turned up at my office unannounced i gave her between €100 and €300.'
Earlier the court had heard from another witness Natasha Teatino, a guest at the parties, who described how Berlusconi had 'paid numerous girls for sex' after an evening at the villa.
http://i.imgur.com/hoS3L.jpg
She told the hearing of one evening in January 2011 and said: 'Silvio Berlusconi paid numerous girls for sex. There was about 20 girls, some were in swimming costumes and others were in their underwear.
'I didn't see anyone completely naked and there were only three men present Emilio Fede (TV news anchorman) and Mariano Apicella (Berlusconi's singing partner on their album) who sang and played his guitar.'
Ms Teatino added: 'At the end of the evening some girls left but around half of the women, around ten or so, stayed. I left, I chose not to stay and a driver took me home. It was my choice, I wasn't specifically asked if I wanted to have sex but when I accepted the invitation I knew what was expected of me. If I had wanted to, I could have stayed.
'My friend Ariel Espinosa stayed the night and she told me that she had sex with Berlusconi in return for money but he didn't just pay for sex with money he also paid the rent for some of the girls as well in return. He paid for Ariel's rent.'
She said: 'The girls were all semi naked. We were in the bunga bunga room as it was called in the basement. They would perform erotic dances and the prime minister would touch them. I was a little bit upset after the party because I didn't get an envelope like the other girls.'
Berlusconi has insisted that nothing untoward happened at the parties which were simply 'elegant dinners' and belly dancer Miss El Mahroug, who he is accused of paying for under age sex with, has also insisted that nothing happened between them.
Berlusconi is also accused of abuse of office, with prosecutors claiming he had Karima freed from police custody when she was arrested for theft by wrongly telling officers she was related to the then Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Silvio Berlusconi's accountant brought an amazing £16million in cash to the former premier's luxury villa to pay girls who attended his infamous bunga bunga parties, a court has heard.
The eye-watering sum was revealed by Berlusconi's grey-haired accountant Giuseppe Spinelli during two hours of questioning as the trial of the sleazy politician who is accused of paying for sex with a minor continues.
Prosecutors believe dozens of women were given money, cars and jewellery in return for spending the night with him and in return for attending his bunga bunga parties.
http://i.imgur.com/dujUC.jpg
The trial has already heard how women dressed as nuns and police officers before carrying out seductive pole dances for Berlusconi and two of his cronies.
The venue for the parties was the basement in the billionaire media tycoon's villa at Arcore near Milan and Mr Spinelli told the court how he brought the money to the house from his office over a period between 2009 and 2010.
As prosecutors showed him a long list of bankers drafts and withdrawals from the former prime minister's accounts Mr Spinelli said: 'I was just following the orders of Silvio Berlusconi. Every slip had to be personally signed by him and I would then take the money to Arcore.'
'During the week the girls would speak to me and tell me what they needed and then on a Monday I would go to Arcore where I had a meeting with him (Berlusconi) and he would tell me what amounts to put in the envelopes.
'He asked me to bring the money in cash and I would put it in the safe at the villa. In 2009 I brought around €7,665,000 while in 2010 I brought more than €12 million.
'Whenever large sums were needed I would forewarn the bank and they would break it down into smaller amounts for me. The money was for the girls daily living expenses and for bills, that sort of thing. We helped so many people and we still do.
'Some of these girls had come from overseas and had nothing. They all needed help.'
Berlusconi is accused of paying for sex with underage minor Karima El Mahroug, also known as Ruby the Heartbreaker, in February 2010 when she was just 17 years old and therefore technically a minor.
In Italy the age of consent is 14 but paying a woman under 18 for sex is seen as prostitution with a minor and punishable by up to three years in jail.
Mr Spinelli said: 'I gave her less than €10,000, probably around €8,900. One day she came to my office and her face was al bruised and she said her flatmate had beaten her up so I gave her €3,000.
'Another time after I had spoken to Berlusconi about her, I gave her €5,000 and I think on two other occasions when she turned up at my office unannounced i gave her between €100 and €300.'
Earlier the court had heard from another witness Natasha Teatino, a guest at the parties, who described how Berlusconi had 'paid numerous girls for sex' after an evening at the villa.
http://i.imgur.com/hoS3L.jpg
She told the hearing of one evening in January 2011 and said: 'Silvio Berlusconi paid numerous girls for sex. There was about 20 girls, some were in swimming costumes and others were in their underwear.
'I didn't see anyone completely naked and there were only three men present Emilio Fede (TV news anchorman) and Mariano Apicella (Berlusconi's singing partner on their album) who sang and played his guitar.'
Ms Teatino added: 'At the end of the evening some girls left but around half of the women, around ten or so, stayed. I left, I chose not to stay and a driver took me home. It was my choice, I wasn't specifically asked if I wanted to have sex but when I accepted the invitation I knew what was expected of me. If I had wanted to, I could have stayed.
'My friend Ariel Espinosa stayed the night and she told me that she had sex with Berlusconi in return for money but he didn't just pay for sex with money he also paid the rent for some of the girls as well in return. He paid for Ariel's rent.'
She said: 'The girls were all semi naked. We were in the bunga bunga room as it was called in the basement. They would perform erotic dances and the prime minister would touch them. I was a little bit upset after the party because I didn't get an envelope like the other girls.'
Berlusconi has insisted that nothing untoward happened at the parties which were simply 'elegant dinners' and belly dancer Miss El Mahroug, who he is accused of paying for under age sex with, has also insisted that nothing happened between them.
Berlusconi is also accused of abuse of office, with prosecutors claiming he had Karima freed from police custody when she was arrested for theft by wrongly telling officers she was related to the then Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.