Prostitution Scandal - Berlusconi - Italian Court Indicts

Italian Court Indicts Berlusconi in Prostitution Scandal

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 - VOA

An Italian judge has ordered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to stand trial on charges he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and abused his power.

The judge in Milan issued the indictment Tuesday, and said the trial is scheduled to begin April 6.

Prosecutors say Mr. Berlusconi paid for sex with a 17-year-old Moroccan girl in his villa.

The 74-year-old prime minister denies the charge, and the young woman, who is now 18, says she never slept with him.

Mr. Berlusconi is also accused of using his influence to get the woman out of police custody after she was arrested on a theft charge.

Prostitution is legal in Italy, but sex with girls younger than 18 is not.

Hundreds of thousands of women marched across Italy Sunday demanding Mr. Berlusconi resign over the allegations. He has also been accused of hosting parties at his home with large numbers of young girls as his guests.

Mr. Berlusconi has said all the charges against him are politically driven.

He has been on trial numerous times on separate corruption charges. His guilty verdicts were overturned or the cases were tossed out during the notoriously slow appeals process.


Italian Court Indicts Berlusconi in Prostitution Scandal
Article from VOA

Sumo Scandal, Japan’s Top Sumo Wrestler Apologizes

Japan’s Top Sumo Wrestler Apologizes Over Scandal
Thursday, February 10th, 2011 - VOA

The ancient Japanese sport of sumo wrestling is facing an uncertain future in the wake of a match-fixing scandal.

The sport's governing body has canceled the annual grand tournament scheduled for next month, after three wrestlers admitted to taking part in a scheme to arrange the outcomes of their matches in exchange for thousands of dollars.

Mongolian-born Hakuho, sumo's yokozuna, or grand champion, apologized for the scandal during a press conference Wednesday, bowing deeply as he spoke.

Police unveiled the scheme after examining text messages on mobile phones confiscated last year during an investigation into charges sumo wrestlers were illegally betting on baseball games through organized crime.


Japan’s Top Sumo Wrestler Apologizes Over Scandal
Article from VOA