Italian premier sues liberal newspaper

ROME, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, himself a media mogul, filed suit against a left-wing newspaper Wednesday, his lawyers said.

The lawyers asked L'Unita, a newspaper closely linked to Italy's Democratic Party, for more than $2.85 million in damages for allegedly vilifying Berlusconi in both is personal and political life.

Four reporters and Editor-in-Chief Concita De Gregorio were cited in the suit, ANSA news service reported.

Among the offending articles are a piece claiming the premier canceled appointments to spend time with an escort, Patrizia D'Addario, and one suggesting Berlusconi's staff appealed to the Catholic Church to downplay the scandal that erupted after the D'Addario incident, ANSA said.

The newspaper responded in Wednesday's edition by saying the suit smacked of Fascism.