The 72-year-old also repeated that there had been nothing "spicy" in his relations with Ms Letizia and that he would resign "the next minute" if proved otherwise. "These are innocent photos, there's no scandal but this is a violation of privacy and a scandalous aggression. "These girls were bathing in a whirlpool bath inside a private home, and they were assaulted in a scandalous way. When asked by Italian state-run Rai radio why there had been several naked women at his villa, he replied: "Do you take a shower dressed?" Mr Berlusconi denounced the paparazzi on Friday for violating his privacy and "scandalous aggression", saying the photographs were entirely "innocent". Ms Letizia was among the guests at Mr Berlusconi's last new year's party Mr Berlusconi has been under pressure to explain his relationship with Ms Letizia since his wife, Veronica Lario, said last month she was divorcing him after he had attended her 18th birthday party and gave her an expensive necklace.
Other photographs reportedly include scenes of parties attended by several young women, including the 18-year-old model Noemi Letizia. Mr Berlusconi's lawyer has previously said such a photo existed. Some of the photos were reportedly taken during a party held at the villa for a visiting Czech delegation under the leadership of former Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.Įl Pais said it was unable to confirm whether the picture of the naked man it published was that of Mr Topolanek. The woman standing is wearing nothing except a skimpy set of "thong" bikini briefs.īut the third picture is the most stark, showing a fully naked man leaning over the edge of a swimming pool.Įl Pais said the pictures were examples of the approximately 300 which were blocked from publication in Italy at the weekend at Mr Berlusconi's request. The second photograph shows two topless women, one standing and one lying on a sun lounger in the Sardinian sunshine. He is accompanied by several women, with the face of one of them pixelated by the photographer and the others obscured by an awning.Įl Pais said that, to protect their identities, Mr Zappadu had pixelated the faces of all those photographed - with the exception of Mr Berlusconi. In the first, the face of the Italian prime minister - recently embroiled in a public row over his friendship with an 18-year-old model - can be clearly seen. Under the headline "The pictures vetoed by Berlusconi", El Pais on Friday published five photos shot by photographer Antonello Zappadu from outside the gates of the Berlusconi villa. Mr Berlusconi is being investigated for misuse of public funds, and confirmed on Thursday that he had been formally placed under investigation by prosecutors.īut he said the probe would be "swiftly shelved", insisting he was allowed to transport "people he needs" for security reasons.
The prime minister is said to have used Italian aircraft to ferry guests to and from Villa Certosa, "almost every weekend" between the summer of 2007 and January of this year, El Pais reports. He also faces a probe for using state aircraft to fly guests to Sardinia. The photos - banned in Italy on privacy grounds - were taken from outside Mr Berlusconi's villa in Sardinia during a party for a Czech delegation.
He has threatened to sue Spain's El Pais newspaper, calling the photos an invasion of privacy. Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has reacted angrily to the publication in Spain of photographs showing topless women and a naked man at his villa. El Pais said the photos showed an uninhibited atmosphere at the villa