© Matteo Bazzi/EPAMarysthell García Polanco. Drugs were found in a flat allegedly provided to her by Berlusconi.
The scandal involving Silvio Berlusconi's private life deepened today after drugs were mentioned in new evidence to Italy's parliament.
The new evidence delivered yesterday revealed that almost 3kg of cocaine were found last year in the cellar of a flat allegedly provided free of charge to one of Berlusconi's guests at his villa outside Milan.
Marysthell García Polanco, from the Dominican Republic, is a model and former weather announcer, known among other things for a celebrated appearance in the "sexy car wash" segment of a popular reality show on one of Berlusconi's television channels.
The drugs were part of a haul of more than 12kg allegedly belonging to García Polanco's boyfriend. He was arrested while driving a car belonging to Nicole Minetti, who, prosecutors claim, organised the supply of women for Berlusconi's parties.
She and the prime minister have both denied any wrongdoing. And yesterday Berlusconi dismissed the new evidence as "just mud [thrown about] to bad mouth me".
Italy's prime minister is formally under investigation on suspicion of paying an underage prostitute and then using his position to cover up the fact. The alleged "madam", Minetti, is caught up in the same investigation, suspected of aiding and abetting prostitution both juvenile and otherwise.
Wiretap transcripts in the latest documents suggest the strain of the investigation is beginning to tell on Minetti. In one, she is quoted as saying of Berlusconi: "He's behaving like a shit, to save his flaccid arse."
Last year's drugs bust took place before the scandal broke. García Polanco was not arrested, and there is no suggestion that she was aware of the presence of the drugs.
Leaked extracts from the documents in the Italian press indicated that in December she used her friendship with the prime minister to gain access to the prefect of Milan in an apparently unsuccessful attempt to obtain an Italian passport.
According to La Repubblica, a caller, speaking from Berlusconi's private residence in Rome, told her: "We needed to tell you about that appointment with Prefect Lombardi." The caller went on to give the showgirl the number of the direct line to the official's office.
She then reportedly rang the number and told the prefect: "I am calling you in the name of the prime minister." The official, who is in overall charge of law and order in Milan and the surrounding province, fixed an appointment for her, adding that parking would be available for her car.
Corriere della Sera reported that it was the first of two meetings between García Polanco and the prefect and one of seven telephone calls between them. La Repubblica said one ended with the official saying: "Give my regards to the prime minister."
the British hold a grudge on the Italians from WW2 (lol). The old man figuring he hasn't got much time left becomes Prime Minister of a country that has held the largest number of elections than any other in the world since WW2 (!!!) . Just point to me a person today that doesn't use drugs today.