A Milan court fined a Moroccan woman at the centre of Silvio Berlusconi's sex-for-hire scandal USD 650 on Monday for failing to appear as a witness twice at the former premier's trial. It ordered her to testify in January.
Karima el-Mahroug, also known as Ruby, is the last witness to be called in the sensational trial that accuses Berlusconi of having paid for sex with el-Mahroug when she was 17, and then trying to cover it up. Both deny having had sex. The court ordered el-Mahroug, who is in Mexico on vacation, to testify on 14 January, confirming the necessity of her testimony.
Prosecutors have accused the defence, which called el-Mahroug as a witness, of engaging in a strategy to delay a verdict which has included calling witnesses who have failed to show. Italian law does not carry particularly strict penalties against witnesses who fail to appear, and in some cases the court may decide their participation is not essential.
Prosecutors are scheduled to give their closing arguments on 28 January, followed by the defence on 4 February.
That leaves room for the verdict to be delivered in February, just as Italy is headed toward a national election.
The 76-year-old Berlusconi has flirted with running again, but most recently has said he would step aside if Premier Mario Monti, who runs a technical government that replaced Berlusconi's, decides to run as a moderate.
In a weekend interview, Berlusconi apologised for his now-infamous ‘bunga bunga’ parties, saying he was lonely after having split from his second wife. Veronica Laria left him in 2008, citing alleged dalliances with young women.
Karima el-Mahroug, also known as Ruby, is the last witness to be called in the sensational trial that accuses Berlusconi of having paid for sex with el-Mahroug when she was 17, and then trying to cover it up. Both deny having had sex. The court ordered el-Mahroug, who is in Mexico on vacation, to testify on 14 January, confirming the necessity of her testimony.
Prosecutors have accused the defence, which called el-Mahroug as a witness, of engaging in a strategy to delay a verdict which has included calling witnesses who have failed to show. Italian law does not carry particularly strict penalties against witnesses who fail to appear, and in some cases the court may decide their participation is not essential.
Prosecutors are scheduled to give their closing arguments on 28 January, followed by the defence on 4 February.
That leaves room for the verdict to be delivered in February, just as Italy is headed toward a national election.
The 76-year-old Berlusconi has flirted with running again, but most recently has said he would step aside if Premier Mario Monti, who runs a technical government that replaced Berlusconi's, decides to run as a moderate.
In a weekend interview, Berlusconi apologised for his now-infamous ‘bunga bunga’ parties, saying he was lonely after having split from his second wife. Veronica Laria left him in 2008, citing alleged dalliances with young women.