An 18-year-old Moroccan belly dancer says she too attended private parties at the prime minister's home. Karima El Mahroug, who called herself on her Facebook page Ruby Rubacuori or Ruby Stealer of Hearts, has denied that she slept with the prime minister.
The most damaging element of her reported relationship with the prime minister is that he allegedly ordered police in Milan to release her from custody when she was arrested on theft charges in May, claiming that she was the granddaughter of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president.
Miss El Mahroug also revealed that Mr Berlusconi has a marble statue of himself as Superman at his
Sardinian villa
"I was sat next to Silvio. We talked about everything except politics and he made fun of the opposition leader Pier Luigi Bersani.
"Then he showed us a marble statue of Superman that had his (Berlusconi's) face."
