Ruby Heartbreaker or Karima El Mahrough: Silvio Berlusconi Not Worried

Italian prosecutors have requested that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stand trial over accusations he paid for a sexual encounter with a then 17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer named Karima El Mahrough aka Ruby Rubacuori and Ruby Heartbreaker. For the very first time, the 74-year-old leader commented about the case on Wednesday, CBS reported.

“Out of love of my country, I won’t talk about this,” Berlusconi told reporters. “I can only say one thing: I’m not worried at all.”

Prosecutors allege Berlusconi paid for sex with the Moroccan nightclub dancer, then used his influence to get her out of police custody when she was detained for an unrelated suspected theft of 3,000 euro ($4,103). They allege that Berlusconi called police the night of May 27-28 last year because he feared that their relationship would be revealed.

Paying for sex with a prostitute is not a crime in Italy, unless the prostitute is under the age of 18.

Both Berlusconi and Ruby – who has since turned 18 – have denied having sexual relations, although she has said Berlusconi gave her 7,000 euro ($9,550) on their first meeting.