The government on Monday night withdrew a plea to stand as civil plaintiff in a trial against ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi for allegedly paying several young women to keep mum about the real nature of 'bunga bunga' sex parties at his home in the so-called Ruby III case.
Sources for Premier Giorgia Meloni's rightwing government said the initial decision to file the petition has been made under a previous centre-left government led by ex-premier Paolo Gentiloni, now European Economic Affairs Commissioner, in 2017.
It said that the political assessments linked to that government's stripes were no longer valid for the Meloni government, which took office in October after running away with the September 25 general election.
The Gentiloni government had filed the suit because of alleged damage to the institution of the premiership by the sex party witness bribery case.
In the first trial linked to the case, Berlusconi was cleared of charges of paying a woman known as Ruby for sex while she was a minor over lack of evidence that he knew she was under 18 at the time.
Prosecutors in the 'Ruby III' trial have requested a jail term of six years for the three-tiime former premier and media mogul and a five-year term for Karima El Mahroug aka Ruby Heartstealer.
There were 28 other conviction requests including one year and four months for former centre-right Forza Italia (FI) Senator and Berlusconi factotum Maria Rosaria Rossi, two years for Berlusconi magazine journalist Carlo Rossella, and up to five years for 20 young women who attended what the ex-premier called "elegant soirees" - all for perjury.
Berlusconi denies paying anyone to lie for him and insists the alleged bunga bunga parties were innocent affairs.
A verdict is expected Wednesday and El Mahroug has said she will be in court for it.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
