PERFUME CHOWK: Gadaffi's Girls: When in Rome...colonel orders in 500 beauties but there's no booze and definitely no hanky-panky

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Gadaffi's Girls: When in Rome...colonel orders in 500 beauties but there's no booze and definitely no hanky-panky

When an elderly gent places an order for 500 leggy lovelies to attend a party in Rome, scenes of a saucy nature would seem to be guaranteed.

Not, however, when the customer happens to be Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Rather than invite the dark-eyed beauties to see his etchings Silvio Berlusconi-style, the 67-year-old Libyan dictator suggested they convert to Islam.

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Gaddafi girls: Women recruited to attend a reception held by the Libyan leader leave with copies of the Koran

Clutching their gifts, the women board a bus waiting for them in Rome after the event last night

Clutching their gifts, the women board a bus waiting for them after the event in Rome last night

He also gave a talk on the Koran and handed them all a copy, along with a signed version of his Green Book on democracy and political philosophy.

Then they were politely sent on their way - without having been supplied with so much as a single cocktail or canapé.

'I want to stress that none of the girls spent the night there,' said Alessandro Londero, of the Rome-based agency Hostessweb.

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Bizarre: Gaddafi carried out the stunt at the attends the FAO food security summit in Rome

Bizarre: One of the models displays the Koran and Green Book given to her by Colonel Gaddafi, right. The Green Book is the leader's views on democracy and his political philosophy

'I counted them all in and I counted them all out. There was nothing untoward, it was simply an interesting evening of discussion.'

Gaddafi was in the Italian capital for a forum on food poverty.

He has a habit of making bizarre requests when travelling abroad - usually for a Bedouin tent to be pitched outside the building where he is staying.

This time an aide contacted Hostessweb to ask for 500 'beautiful Italian girls' to be supplied for a gala evening.

Glamorous: The women were told not to wear mini skirts to the gala - but the dictator insisted 'heels are OK'

They should be at least 5ft 7in, aged between 18 and 35, and should not wear mini skirts or plunging necklines, although 'high heels were OK'.

They were told to meet at a hotel in the centre of Rome before being taken to the Libyan Ambassador's residence.

Several were turned away after being told they were inappropriately dressed or they were too short.

Arriving in style: Some of the women were ferried to the Libyan ambassador's official Rome residence in limo

Once inside - and after an hour's delay - Gaddafi arrived in a stretch white limousine to lecture them on the superiority of Islam. While opinions were mixed on the religious instruction, most girls agreed that the catering was rubbish.

One said: 'I thought we were going to a party - we didn't even get a glass of water or some salty snacks.'

Another, an engineering graduate, said: 'It was all very polite but I expected at least a little bite to eat.'

Mr Londero insisted he was not running an escort agency.

He was unwilling to discuss how much he had charged to supply 500 girls, or what they were paid, although he admitted he had received a bonus for arranging the event at only two hours' notice.