Probe into mysterious death of Moroccan model in Italy under way

KARACHI: A murder investigation is under way in Italy after the death of a Moroccan model who testified against former PM Silvio Berlusconi in 2012.

Imane Fadil, 34, died on March 1 in a Milan hospital, a month after being admitted with stomach pains. At the time she said she had been poisoned, reported international media on Sunday.

Italian media say she may have been poisoned with a radioactive substance. She was a key witness against former Italian prime minister Berlusconi, who was accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute.

Berlusconi, 82, was initially convicted but then acquitted on appeal. He was later convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to carry out community service. Milan chief prosecutor Francesco Greco says news agency there were "several anomalies" in Ms Fadil's medical records.

Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that Milan's hospital had sent samples to a specialist laboratory. The results suggested the presence of a mix of radioactive substances, including cobalt.