George Clooney is among more than 200 witnesses accepted by a Milan court in the trial of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi for allegedly paying for sex with an underage prostitute.
Clooney has said he was approached by Berlusconi's team to give evidence about "bunga bunga" parties at Berlusconi's villas, but says he only visited the premier's residence once to seek aid for Darfur and declined an invitation to stay.
Berlusconi's defence lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said that Clooney and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo are on the defence list because an important prosecution witness cited them.
Clooney said he was willing to give evidence, but added: "I wasn't at the bunga bunga party.
"I went to speak about Darfur ... It was a very interesting conversation to say the least, that became a very different kind of event than anyone ever thought."
At the end of the meeting, Clooney said he was invited to stay for a party. The actor said he responded: "No, I gotta go."
The witness list also includes Karima el-Mahroug, or "Ruby the Heart Breaker", the Moroccan teenager who is alleged to have had sex with Berlusconi in exchange for money. Both she and Berlusconi, 75, have denied a sexual relationship.
By accepting the witnesses, the court agrees their evidence is relevant, although either side may decide later to reduce the number of witnesses or not to call someone because their testimony is no longer needed.
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