18-year-old's ex-flame blames Berlusconi for stealing his girlfriend

London, May 26 (ANI): The ex-boyfriend of Noemi Letizia, the 18-year-old aspiring model at the heart of Silvio Berlusconi's divorce row, has blamed the Italian Prime Minister for the breakdown of his relationship.

Berlusconi's ties with Letizia have already angered his wife Veronica Lario, 52.

The 72-year-old PM reportedly gave the teen a 5,300-pound gold and diamond necklace at her birthday party a month ago.

After reports of his appearance at the birthday party emerged, Lario announced that she was leaving him because he "spends too much time with minors" and because he is "not well".

Now, Noemi's former boyfriend, Gino Flaminio, has claimed that Berlusconi caused the pair to split, reports Sky News.

He alleged they had ended their relationship because she was spending too much time with the media tycoon-turned-politician.

In an interview with La Repubblica, Gino contradicted Berlusconi's claims that he had always met Noemi through her parents.

He claimed Berlusconi called Noemi after TV friend Emilio Fede had unintentionally forgotten her photographic book of modelling shots at his house.

Gino claimed he had listened in to phones calls by the PM to Noemi.

He said Berlusconi "had a fatherly attitude when he was speaking to her and I didn't like it".

"I told her I didn't like it. She is a sweet and innocent girl who can't bear being apart from her teddy bear," Gino went on.

The 22-year-old said he and Noemi broke up after the model told him she was going to Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia for New Year.

He said: "When she came back, she told me there were around 30 girls there.

"There was a lot of strange things going on - I called her friend Roberta who was with her but she kept telling me Noemi was busy and couldn't talk." (ANI)