By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Nicole Winfield, Associated Press – 53
mins ago
ROME – Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi insisted Monday he only throws
elegant, dignified soirees at his villas and not wild parties as reportedly
described by a Rome-based U.S. diplomat in a cable contained in the
Wikileaks trove.
Berlusconi said he didn't care to read what such diplomats had to report,
saying "I don't look at what third-rate or fourth-rate officials say."
Berlusconi has been accused of entertaining escorts and underage girls at
his villas — allegations that have fueled a political crisis that has
brought the government to a no-confidence vote in two weeks.
According to the cable, reported by The Guardian newspaper, Berlusconi's "
frequent late nights and penchant for partying hard mean he does not get
sufficient rest."
On Monday, Berlusconi shrugged off the commentary with a laugh.
"I unfortunately have never in my life been to a wild party," he said. "
Maybe they're interesting. I've never been."
He said once a month he hosts dinner parties at his homes because so many
people want to see him. "At these dinners, everything that occurs is proper,
elegant and dignified." Otherwise, guests wouldn't be allowed to take
pictures, he added.
Several beautiful young women have come forward over the past year detailing
the dinner parties they attended at Berlusconi's villas in Rome, Milan and
Sardinia and the gifts the premier allegedly gave them.
The most recent, Nadia Macri, a 28-year-old self-described escort, has said
Berlusconi paid her ?10,000 ($13,000) — delivered in an envelope — for
sexual favors after she was introduced to the premier by a television
executive.
Berlusconi's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini has said there was no basis of truth in
Macri's claims and said they had been disproved.
