George could be fined 200 euros if called to be a witness and he refuses to go

From The Sun

By NICK PISA in Rome

Published: 29 Mar 2011

Clooney called to 'Bunga' trial

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HOLLYWOOD star George Clooney has been sensationally listed as a defence witness in controversial Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" trial it emerged today. The Ocean's actor is among 78 people who are named and also include his girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis, as well as several other prominent TV personalities.

These include Venezuelan beauty Aida Yespica, Argentinian showgirl Belen Rodriguez and senior government officials including foreign minister Franco Frattini who was in London for today's Libya talks.

A source on Berlusconi's defence team said:"George Clooney is one of several people we have included on our list of witnesses as part of our case.

"The list includes several personalities as well as cabinet ministers and they will all testify and prove that the prime minister is innocent of the ludicrous allegations made against him."

The case against Berlusconi centres on Moroccan belly dancer Karima El Mahroug, 18, who was said to have been paid for sex by Berlusconi when she was just 17 years old.

In interviews she later claimed that among guests as Berlusconi's parties were Clooney and Canalis and the defence aim is to call them and dismiss the suggestions and portray the teenager as "confused."

Clooney, who has a home on the shores of Lake Como near Milan, has been a guest at a fund raising dinner hosted by Berlusconi but there is no suggestion he was involved in anything untoward.

A judge will now decide if Clooney and the others on the list are relevant and should be officially called to testify - up until now the actor would have had no idea although his girlfriend is thought to have given defence lawyers a statement.

If he is confirmed then he will receive official notification from the court and will be expected to attend a future hearing when called - if he doesn't then he could be fined 200 Euro.

It would not be the first time that Clooney has appeared in court in Milan - last year he brought chaos to the building after he testified in a fraud case against three people accused of falsely using his name.

During the hearing Clooney spoke in Italian and the public gallery was packed with swooning female court officials who were delighted when he turned and waved to them.

The other witnesses named have been called to confirm that Berlusconi's claims that his parties were nothing more than "convivial, elegant soirees of food and song."

Tonight Clooney's agent Stan Rosenfeld could not be immediately contacted for comment.

Meanwhile the under-fire PM appeared in court yesterday - as it emerged his annual salary is £35million.