Italy's prime minister has told a gossip magazine he never paid for sex amid scandalous claims about women at his parties.Silvio Berlusconi has been dogged by suspicions stemming from his purported fondness for young models and starlets.
The 72-year-old billionaire gave his first direct response to the claims in an interview with Chi magazine.
He had previously dismissed reports that an acquaintance of his paid at least three women to attend parties at his residences as "garbage" and a smear campaign.
"I have never paid a woman," the prime minister was quoted as saying in the interview.
"I never understood what the satisfaction is when you are missing the pleasure of conquest."
Mr Berlusconi said Patrizia D'Addario, the model at the centre of the claims, was "very well paid" to make the allegations.
The claims have prompted an investigation in the southern city of Bari into the local businessman accused of recruiting and paying the women.
In a statement to the ANSA news agency, Ms D'Addario denied she had been paid to mount a scandal.
Mr Berlusconi has been on the defensive ever since his wife Veronica Lario announced several weeks ago she was divorcing him - citing his selection of young starlets and showgirls for European Parliament elections and his presence at an 18-year-old model's birthday party.
The Italian leader has insisted there was nothing scandalous in his relationship with Noemi Letizia, whom he has said was the daughter of an old friend from political circles.
He said he went to the party because he happened to be in Naples that day.
As the Letizia scandal began to abate, Ms D'Addario told Italian media she was paid £855 to attend a party at Mr Berlusconi's Rome residence.
This was followed by similar claims by two other women and reports that Ms D'Addario had given Bari prosecutors audio and video tapes proving the allegations.
Giampaolo Tarantini, the man accused in the Bari probe, has said he merely reimbursed the women for their travel and expenses.
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