Italian PM denounces judicial conspiracy

Italy: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi affirmed Saturday that the opening of a court inquiry to try him for child prostitution is part of a conspiracy to discredit his political image.

Berlusconi said he is suffering from legal persecution that reached its peak when Milan prosecutors began investigating on charges of corruption of minors. In an official communiqué issued Saturday, Berlusconi, 74, pleaded not guilty in a case involving a young Moroccan woman, Ruby El Mahroug, who attended his private parties several times when she was a minor. Berlusconi will now be summoned to testify in pending trials for bribery and tax evasion, but he can still appeal to the judges, who will decide in each case if he can be tried or not.

Rome, Prensa Latina