Italy: Prosecutors pile pressure on Berlusconi over prostitution allegations

The prosecutors are leading an inquiry aimed at determining if Mr Berlusconi, 74, paid for sex with Moroccan teenager Karima El Mahroug, who attended parties at one of his villas last year. Prostitution is not a crime in Italy, but exploiting or aiding prostitution with minors is.

The prosecutors allege that Mr Berlusconi had sex with a "significant" number of young female prostitutes and used apartments to compensate the women, along with cash payments.

Mr Berlusconi has denied wrongdoing.

The prosecutors asked the Chamber of Deputies to authorise a search of offices in a residential complex near Milan that belong to Mr Berlusconi, who is both a member of the chamber and prime minister.

Members of the chamber enjoy parliamentary immunity including from arrest or searches in criminal inquiries, unless a chamber committee decides otherwise on a case-by-case basis.

Ms Mahroug, now 18, has said she was among a group of young women invited to parties at Mr Berlusconi's Arcore villa near Milan. She has said in a TV interview that the premier last year gave her €7,000 (about 5,800) to help her financially. She has said they did not have sex.

Prosecutors want police to search an apartment complex in Segrate, near Milan, which includes the offices they alleged could contain documentation that young women were given money and rent-free apartments in another residential complex by Mr Berlusconi in compensation for prostitution.

In the request, prosecutor Edmondo Bruti Liberati wrote that one of the prime minister's lawyers said the offices are part of Mr Berlusconi's property and thus enjoy parliamentary immunity from searches.