Sabina Beganovic appeared in the
courtroom for the first time on the last day of the nearly
two-year trial in which she and six other defendants are accused
of supplying former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi with
dozens of women for sex parties in exchange for public
contracts.
The prosecution is seeking three years in prison for
Beganovic - the so-called "Queen Bee" of the parties that were
organised at the former premier's various residences in 2008 and
2009 - for recruiting three women.
Beganovic, a German actress residing in Italy who goes by
Sabina Began, made voluntary statements to the court both before
and after her defence attorney's closing arguments.
"I loved this man very much and I would have done anything
for him," Began said tearfully, referring to the former premier
with whom she was romantically linked during the time he served
as premier.
"Berlusconi was a wonderful man, fantastic. For me he was
first a boyfriend and then like a father," she said.
"When you love someone you dedicate your life to them. I
wanted to defend the premier. I even said I participated in the
bunga bunga parties, but everyone knows that wasn't true. I was
working, I didn't need to prostitute girls to make money".
Began said she "organised many dinners, I did it for him
(Berlusconi), because he said he needed them. I wanted to please
him. Today I regret it and I ask God to forgive me".
Began's defence attorney Fabrizio Siggia asked the judges
to acquit his client.
"Began had an intimate relationship with Silvio Berlusconi
that allowed her to have free access to the residences of the
then-premier," Siggia said.
"She wanted him to have fun ... that's why she invited
girls who would 'play along', that were cute, nice and willing
to humor him, willing to laugh at Berlusconi's jokes even when
they didn't get them".
Siggia said the girls were "lured by the possibility of
gaining entrance to a certain environment, knowing that if they
were nice they would get something, maybe the opportunity to be
a TV showgirl".
Began's attorney said "nothing has emerged to show any
direct contact between Sabina Beganovic and any of these girls
and there isn't any proof of relations of a sexual nature taking
place at (Rome's) Palazzo Grazioli the evening of September 5,
2008", the evening that Beganovic is cited for.
Following her attorney's closing arguments, Began asked
once again to make a voluntary statement.
"I ask you to judge me with the heart and not only with the
law".
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