Prosecutors to seek trial for Berlusconi in sex probe

Italian prosecutors will request an immediate trial for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is accused of paying for sex with an underage girl and later abusing his power to get police to release her.

The request, which means the prosecutors believe they have enough evidence in the case to skip a preliminary hearing, will add to the pressure on the 74-year-old premier, whose centre-right government is hanging on to power by a thread.

Milan prosecutors say they have evidence Berlusconi paid for sex with a "significant number" of young women, including Moroccan nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug when she was under 18, the legal age for prostitution in Italy.

They also say he later exerted improper pressure on police to have El Mahroug, known by her stage name "Ruby," released after she was detained on separate theft allegations.

Once the prosecutors' request for an immediate trial is submitted, a judge will have five days to decide, although the deadline could be extended by a few days. If the judge agrees to the request, the trial could begin within a couple of months.

Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing and says he has never paid for sex. He says politically motivated leftist prosecutors are hounding him and trying to destroy his career.

The sex and abuse of power scandal has come at a difficult time for Berlusconi, whose grip on power was greatly weakened by a split in his People of Freedom party last year that cost him a secure majority in parliament.

The latest opinion polls show the investigation has damaged Berlusconi but has not delivered a knock-out blow.

A survey published in Corriere della Sera on Monday said only 34 percent of those interviewed thought the media tycoon should stay on as prime minister.

Still, most polls say his centre-right coalition would still likely win an early election unless a fractured opposition, ranging from former neo-fascists to hard-line left-wingers, managed to present a united front.