Rome prosecutors probe Paolo Berlusconi

(ANSA) - Rome, December 1 - 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.