Italian businessman Gianpaolo Tarantini has told investigators that, in an attempt to gain influence with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, he arranged for approximately 30 women to appear at the premier's parties and provide sex if necessary.

"I just want to say that relying on prostitutes and cocaine was part of my project of creating a network within public administration. I thought that throughout all these years cocaine and girls was the key to opening the door of success in society," said Tarantini, who also claimed that Berlusconi slept with two more prostitutes than accounted for in previous estimates. (The women who had sex with the Prime Minister were paid approximately $1500, while those who simply attended the parties had "expenses" covered.) At a rally in Rome yesterday, the premier seemed untroubled by the continuing revelations, telling the crowd that "I will take questions from the guys but from the girls I want telephone numbers." Just another day, really.