<p>Patrizia D’Addario made the revelation in an interview with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. <br /><br />The 72-year-old media tycoon-turned-politician has been criticised for offering attractive female candidates a chance to run in the European Parliament elections, held in June. <br /><br />In the interview, D’Addario talked about two occasions late last year when she was invited by Gianpaolo Tarantini — who’s been investigated for corruption and abetting prostitution — to attend the prime minister’s official residence. <br /><br />The only guests at the first dinner, in mid-October, were Berlusconi, Gianpaolo Tarantini and about 20 young women. <br /><br />“It was obvious to me that we were all escort girls. Mr Berlusconi asked the girls if they’d like to work in television, go into politics or to take part in Big Brother (aired by one of his television channels),” Times Online quoted D’Addario as saying. <br /><br />She said Tarantini paid her 1,000 euros, and Berlusconi promised her additional “pay cheque” if she stayed the night with him on November 4. <br /><br />D’Addario said that she made the second visit to the Palazzo Grazioli, but the prime minister did not pay her. However, he promised to help her to resolve an issue over a building permit in the southern city of Bari. <br /><br />“He didn’t pay me, but he promised to send me two people to take care of a problem I had with planning permission which was blocking a building project,” she said. <br /><br />“To me that was equal to earning 2,000 euros extra. That project was really close to my heart and he understood that, so I was satisfied. But that is not what happened. <br />Instead he offered me a seat in the European Parliament,” she added. <br /></p>
<p>Patrizia D’Addario made the revelation in an interview with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. <br /><br />The 72-year-old media tycoon-turned-politician has been criticised for offering attractive female candidates a chance to run in the European Parliament elections, held in June. <br /><br />In the interview, D’Addario talked about two occasions late last year when she was invited by Gianpaolo Tarantini — who’s been investigated for corruption and abetting prostitution — to attend the prime minister’s official residence. <br /><br />The only guests at the first dinner, in mid-October, were Berlusconi, Gianpaolo Tarantini and about 20 young women. <br /><br />“It was obvious to me that we were all escort girls. Mr Berlusconi asked the girls if they’d like to work in television, go into politics or to take part in Big Brother (aired by one of his television channels),” Times Online quoted D’Addario as saying. <br /><br />She said Tarantini paid her 1,000 euros, and Berlusconi promised her additional “pay cheque” if she stayed the night with him on November 4. <br /><br />D’Addario said that she made the second visit to the Palazzo Grazioli, but the prime minister did not pay her. However, he promised to help her to resolve an issue over a building permit in the southern city of Bari. <br /><br />“He didn’t pay me, but he promised to send me two people to take care of a problem I had with planning permission which was blocking a building project,” she said. <br /><br />“To me that was equal to earning 2,000 euros extra. That project was really close to my heart and he understood that, so I was satisfied. But that is not what happened. <br />Instead he offered me a seat in the European Parliament,” she added. <br /></p>
