Clooney on witness list for Berlusconi trial

Published : Nov 24, 2011 - 10:15 Updated : Nov 24, 2011 - 10:17

MILAN (AP) — George Clooney and his ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis are among more than 200 witnesses accepted Wednesday by a Milan court in the trial of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi for allegedly paying for sex with an underage prostitute.

Clooney has said he was approached by Berlusconi's team to testify about "bunga bunga" parties at Berlusconi's villas, but says he only visited the premier's residence once to seek aid for Darfur and declined an invitation to stay.

Berlusconi's defense lawyer Niccolo Ghedini told reporters that Clooney and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo are on the defense list because an important prosecution witness cited them, the news agency LaPresse reported. Ghedini said they want to dispute the witness's testimony.

Clooney said in an interview with Time magazine posted online that he was willing to testify, but added: "I wasn't at the bunga bunga party."

"I went to speak about Darfur. ... It was a very interesting conversation to say the least, that became a very different kind of event than anyone ever thought."

At the end of the meeting, Clooney said he was invited to stay for a party. The actor said he responded: "No, I gotta go."

The witness list also includes Karima el-Mahroug, the Moroccan teen who is alleged to have had sex with Berlusconi in exchange for money. Both she and Berlusconi, 75, have denied a sexual relationship.

A file photo taken on July 6, 2009 shows Real Madrid`s Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo gesturing while giving a press conference after his official presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. (AFP)

Also slated to testify are three former aides being tried separately for their alleged role in organizing sex-fueled parties, as well as Mariano Apicella, who has put out four CDs with Berlusconi and often entertains at his residences, and two members of Berlusconi's defunct government, ex-Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and ex-Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini.

By accepting the witnesses, the court agrees their testimony is relevant, although either side may decide later to reduce the number of witnesses or not to call someone because their testimony is no longer needed. Furthermore, Italy has limited power to compel witnesses living abroad to appear, although courts often arrange video testimony for the convenience of potential witnesses.

The court also allowed transcripts of wiretapped calls to be entered as evidence, while a record of phone calls between Berlusconi and a police official won't be admitted.

Berlusconi is also charged with using his influence to cover up the crime of underage prostitution by personally intervening to win el-Mahroug's release from police custody when she was picked up on suspicion of theft.

Berlusconi denies the charge and says he sought to get her out of custody because he believed she was the niece of the former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Ghedini said the exclusion of the phone call records was a "serious problem" for the defense, because it proves there was no abuse of influence, but he said that will be made clear through the police official's testimony.

The trial continues next week with the first witnesses, including police investigators

<한글기사>

클루니-호날두, 伊전총리 성매매재판 설듯

베를루스코니 성매매 재판에 증인 채택돼

할리우드 유명배우 조지 클루니와 축구스타 크리스티아누 호날두가 실비오 베를루스코니 전(前) 이탈리아 총리의 미성년 성매매 혐의 재판에 증인으로 채택됐다.

이탈리아 법원은 23일(현지시간) 클루니와 호날두를 포함, 베를루스코니 측 변 호인이 요청한 78명의 증인 신청을 받아들였다.

지난 12일 사임한 베를루스코니 전 총리는 지난해 2~5월 당시 17세였던 모로코 출신 댄서 카리마 엘-마루그(일명 루비)에게 대가를 주고 자신의 빌라에서 성관계를 가진 혐의로 기소됐다.

베를루스코니 전 총리는 루비가 절도죄로 체포됐을 때 경찰에 전화를 걸어 석방 압력을 넣는 등 권력을 남용한 혐의도 받고 있다.

루비는 베를루스코니가 연 선정적 파티에서 클루니를 본 적이 있으며, 호날두와는 성관계를 맺었다고 진술한 바 있다.

이에 베를루스코니 측 변호인단은 루비 증언에 신뢰성이 떨어진다는 사실을 증명하고자 클루니와 호날두를 증인으로 신청했다.

클루니는 일명 '붕가붕가'로 알려진 이 파티에 참석한 적이 없다고 부인했으며 법정에서 증언할 의사가 있다고 밝혔다.

클루니는 지난달 시사주간지 타임과의 인터뷰에서 "붕가붕가 파티에 참석하지 않았지만 (베를루스코니의 집에서 열린) 다른 파티에는 참석했다"며 "나는 수단 다르푸르 사태에 대해 이야기하려고 그곳에 갔을 뿐"이라고 말했다.

그는 파티에서 베를루스코니와 나눈 대화가 만족스러웠다며 베를루스코니가 침실에서 블라디미르 푸틴 러시아 총리가 선물한 침대를 보여주기도 했다고 덧붙였다.

그러나 스페인 프로축구 레알 마드리드의 간판스타인 호날두는 증인 소환에 대한 입장을 밝히지 않고 있다.

이날 법원이 승인한 증인 명단에는 클루니와 호날두 외에도 이탈리아 장관 4명과 연예계 거물급 인사들이 포진해있다.

베를루스코니를 기소한 검사 측도 루비 등 '붕가붕가' 파티에 참석한 여성 32명을 포함, 총 136명의 증인을 신청했다.

유죄가 확정되면 베를루스코니는는 미성년자와의 성매매에 대해서는 징역 3년형, 권력남용 관련해서는 12년형까지 선고받을 수 있다.