Berlusconi's political heir blew Italian taxpayers' cash on risque toga party

London, September 23 (ANI): A member of Silvo Berlusconi's political party allegedly blew 24,000 pounds of taxpayers' money on a risque toga party held in Rome, it has emerged.

The party who organised by Carlo De Romanis two years ago to celebrate his return to the regional Government of Rome after eight years working for an MEP in Brussels, the Daily Mail reported.

Pictures of the party, attended by around 2,000 people, have emerged showing guests dressed in tunics, wearing centurion helmets and pigs masks while drinking champagne and feeding each other grapes.

But De Romanis claims he paid for the extravagant bash himself.

Italy's People of Freedom party have also been hit by several other scandals after prosecutors launched an investigation into the expenses of party officials.

The leader of party deputies in Lazio's regional assembly, Francesco Battistoni, resigned on Thursday and a dozen officials are being investigated.

His predecessor, Franco Fiorito, is suspected of defrauding the state of around 800,000 euros.

Fiorito has also accused eight other people of fraud.

He claims he was pressurised to approve claims of public funding worth 100,000 euros a year by regional councillors in the party who were already being paid 13,000 euros a month.

Italian press reports said Fiorito owns five homes and had holidays in Sardinia paid by the party, which also rewarded him with a 90,000-euro BMW. (ANI)

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