Hollywood star George Clooney is one of 78 witnesses named by Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi for his trial on charges of sex with an under-age prostitute.
Mr Clooney’s girlfriend, Italian model and TV star Elisabetta Canalis, is also on the list as are MPs and ministers.
The couple were said to have been seen at one of Mr Berlusconi’s parties by Karima el-Mahroug, the teenager whom he is alleged to have paid for sex.
The trial is due to start on 6 April. Mr Berlusconi denies the charges.
As well as the sex charge, Mr Berlusconi is also accused of abuse of power for intervening in a separate case in which Ms Mahroug, known as Ruby, was detained by police on suspicion of theft.
Lawyers acting for both the defence and prosecution submitted their witnesses on Tuesday in preparation for the trial.
Lake Como villa
Although it is for the judges to decide who appears as a witness, Ms Canalis is believed to have denied being present at the party in question at the prime minister’s villa near Milan in February 2010.
Mr Clooney has a villa of his own not far away, beside Lake Como.
Among the other named defence witnesses are supermodel Belen Rodriguez and TV presenter Barbara d’Urso.
Ruby has been named as a prosecution witness, Italian media report, as have 32 other women alleged to have attended erotic parties which are also said to have taken place at the prime minister’s residence.
Prosecutors allege that the Italian leader paid for sex with Ruby while she was still 17, an offence under Italian law. They maintain that the prime minister had sex with her on 13 occasions.
