Another sex scandal has hit the Government of Silvio Berlusconi, with accusations that one of the Prime Minister’s right-hand men was offered “megagalactic” sex parties in return for illegally awarding public contracts.
Guido Bertolaso, 59, the head of the Civil Protection Agency, who became a national hero for overseeing the rescue efforts after the earthquake in Abruzzo last year, offered to resign twice this week after prosecutors said that he was under investigation over alleged sex parties and bribes for public contracts.
The claims relate to the construction of a €327 million (£285 million) complex at the former US naval base of La Maddalena in Sardinia, which was meant to host the G8 summit. Mr Berlusconi moved the summit to L’Aquila, the main city in Abruzzo, as a gesture to the earthquake victims, although critics said that it was because the Sardinia site was not ready.
Mr Bertolaso, who is married with two children, denied any involvement in sex scandals or corruption and called the “terrible and defamatory” accusations against him “a big misunderstanding”.
He admitted visiting the Salaria Sport Village at Settebagni, but said that he had gone there only for physiotherapy. He said that he had never betrayed the Italian people and had not been responsible for awarding the G8 site contracts.
Police arrested Angelo Balducci, 62, the head of the state public works office, two other public works officials and Diego Anemone, 39, a Rome construction businessman, this week. Mr Anemone and Mr Balducci’s son Filippo founded the spa, which Mr Bertolaso went to and at which he “on numerous occasions made use of sexual services” provided by masseuses, according to magistrates.
Mr Berlusconi — thought to regard Mr Bertolaso as a potential successor — said that slandering people who worked for the good of Italy had become a national sport, and “small irregularities” by those who worked for the public good should be overlooked.
According to telephone calls intercepted during the inquiry and published in the Italian media, in September 2008 the health centre manager told Mr Anemone he was organising a “megagalactic” private party for Mr Bertolaso. Two months later Mr Bertolaso called the manager and asked if “Francesca, the usual girl” was available, adding: “I would love to have a good going-over (ripassata)”.
Massimo Cialente, the Mayor of L’Aquila, said he was disgusted that businessmen allegedly involved in the G8 scandal had been overheard in the telephone taps discussing the profits to be made from earthquake reconstruction in Abruzzo.
Il Giornale, the newspaper owned by the Berlusconi family, said it was deplorable that political correctness was creeping into Italy. It said that even rich and powerful men were fragile and needed sexual comfort.
Mr Berlusconi, who faces regional elections next month, is popular despite sex scandals and revived corruption charges.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7025719.ece
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