Topless model turned Italian cabinet minister sues comedian over ’lewd act involving Berlusconi’ jibe (video)

By Nick Pisa

It involves a former topless model and the Italian prime minister, and has all the makings of a risque joke.

But the story about Silvio Berlusconi and a glamorous female cabinet minister hasn’t left many people laughing.

In fact, model-turned-politician Mara Carfagna is now threatening to sue an Italian comedian who claimed she had performed a lewd act with the 71-year-old PM.

For a fortnight, the country’s newspapers had been buzzing with wild rumours that Mr Berlusconi and an unnamed woman minister took part in the sort of activity not written about in political journals since the days of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

Then this week, at an anti-Berlusconi rally in Rome, comedian Sabina Guzzanti named the woman as 32-yearold Miss Carfagna.

Last night Miss Carfagna, who is equal opportunities minister, said she would sue.

She called the claims ’vulgar and fanciful’ and said she had told her lawyer to begin proceedings against Miss Guzzanti, whose father is an MP in Mr Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party.

For his part, Mr Berlusconi said: ’Let’s not talk about it. I can only say that despite the vulgar attacks I have been a victim of, public faith in me and in the government has grown.’

Miss Carfagna is the youngest member of his Cabinet. She entered politics in 2006 after a career in TV.

Many were surprised at her appointment, given her inexperience. Before joining the cabinet she had posed topless and semi-naked, but always highlighted her family values and insisted none of the pictures was ’erotic’.

She was also at the centre of a row between Mr Berlusconi and his wife Veronica last year when the PM said that if he was not married already, he would gladly marry Miss Carfagna.

He was forced to apologise to his wife after she sent a letter to a newspaper demanding that he say sorry for embarrassing her.

The latest scandal emerged after allegations that Mr Berlusconi had tried to secure jobs with state broadcaster RAI for young women friends he called his ’little butterflies’.

Police investigating alleged corruption taped conversations with RAI chief Agostino Sacca in which Mr Berlusconi asked if places had been found for the actresses and presenters and added: ’Look, on behalf of all these little butterflies, I thank you.’

Among the transcripts is said to be a conversation in which Mr Berlusconi makes lewd references to his newly-appointed equal opportunities minister.

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