Silvio Berlusconi's brother
Paolo is under investigation by Rome prosecutors for suspected
extortion by inducement in a probe linked to defendants in the
Vatileaks 2 case, judicial sources said Tuesday.
The probe involves PR expert Francesca Chaouqui, who is
among 5 defendants on trial for allegedly leaking Holy See
documents, and her husband Corrado Lanino, and is connected to
the sale of San Girolamo castle at Narni, the sources said.
Paolo Berlusconi, editor of the right-wing Il Giornale
paper, was caught up in the investigation after police
intercepted a series of conversations between him and Chaouqui.
In the calls, that prosecutors are examining, Chaouqui
allegedly promised the younger Berlusconi she would act on
judicial requests to the Vatican regarding former premier Silvio
Berlusconi.
Magistrates do not plan to imminently summon Paolo
Berlusconi, but are focusing on the wiretaps, according to ANSA
sources.
A lawyer acting for Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday denied
that Chaouqui had contacted the media magnate or his brother in
relation to the case.
"President Berlusconi has never had any contact with
Francesca Chaouqui, or indications from anyone, of requests made
by her," Niccolò Ghedini said in a statement.
"Besides, it would have been impossible to make demands
since there is no possible link between President Berlusconi and
'Vatican affairs' or the Vatican bank," he continued.
With regard to Paolo Berlusconi, Ghedini acknowledged that
he had met Chaouqui "occasionally" in social situations, but
said the reports of contacts in relation to Vatileaks 2 were
"unfounded".
Chaouqui is on trial alongside investigative journalists
Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi, Monsignor Lucio Angel
Vallejo Balda and his former assistant Nicola Maio for allegedly
leaking confidential Holy See documents.
Vallejo Balda and Chaouqui were both members of the
now-defunct COSEA commission set up to advise Pope Francis on
reform of the Holy See's economic-administrative structure.
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