Italy seeks to try Berlusconi for bribing witnesses in prostitution trials

MILAN (Reuters) - Milan prosecutors on Thursday asked that four-time Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stand trial for bribing witnesses in a court case in which he was acquitted of paying for sex with an underage Moroccan dancer. In a statement, prosecutors said the accused are suspected of corrupting judicial proceedings, giving false testimony, and money laundering during two trials concerning lavish parties at Berlusconi's villa near Milan. The 79-year-old, who still leads his conservative Forza Italia party but has not headed the government since 2011, could now stand trial along with 30 others if judges decide there is enough evidence to charge him. It was not immediately possible to reach a lawyer for Berlusconi for comment. All those involved in the cases have denied any wrongdoing. No date has been set for the judges' decision on whether to order a trial. Accusations that Berlusconi paid for sex after a dinner party with Karima El Mahroug, who was then 17-years-old, came after a series of sex scandals and helped erode his popularity. El Mahroug is better known by her stage name Ruby the Heartstealer. Prosecutors allege that some 10 million euros (7 million pound) were paid to corrupt the witnesses in the case, of which Ruby received 7 million, between when the investigation started in 2011 and this year. Berlusconi was originally convicted in the case, but was acquitted on appeal last year, providing him rare good news as he served a community service sentence in an old people's home after a separate conviction for tax fraud. Last week, a court convicted a businessman of trying to curry favour with the then-prime minister and win lucrative public contracts by procuring prostitutes for his parties. Forza Italia has lost popular support since a 2013 political crisis, and has lost ground among right-wing voters to the more hardline Northern League, according to opinion polls. (Reporting by Emilio Parodi, writing by Isla Binnie; Editing by Angus MacSwan)