Italy's prime minister has said a request by prosecutors in Milan to have him put on trial immediately for allegedly paying for sex with an underage girl is "disgusting".
Silvio Berlusconi said the prosecutors' case was a "pretext" to oust him.
He denies paying for sex with Karima El Mahroug when she was 17, and abusing his power to get her released by police after she was detained in another case.
A magistrate will now decide if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.
If convicted, the prime minister could face up to 15 years in prison.
'A farce'Speaking to reporters in Rome shortly after the request for his indictment was filed, Mr Berlusconi again insisted that the accusations against him were groundless and said the prosecutors were acting subversively.
"I can only say that it's a farce. They are accusations without any basis. The only aim of the inquiry is to defame me in the media," he said.
"But I am not worried about myself. I am a rich man who could spend his time building hospitals around the world, as I have always wanted."
"These acts are violating the law and go against parliament, because Milan's prosecutors have no jurisdiction," he added. "It's shameful and disgusting."
"I wonder who's going to pay for these activities that, in my humble view, only have a subversive aim."
"In the end, it will be the state which pay for this. I'll sue the state, of course, because magistrates are not liable. This is something we need to change and will change."
Mr Berlusconi reiterated that Miss Mahroug - a Moroccan nightclub dancer also known as Ruby, who is now 18 - had denied that they had sex. But she has said she received money after one of his parties.
Although frequenting prostitutes is not a crime in Italy, having sex with one under the age of 18 is an offence that commands a prison sentence.
Mr Berlusconi also said he did not abuse his power when he told police to release Miss Mahroug after she was detained on suspicion of theft, explaining that he believed she was the niece of Egypt's president.