MOSCOW, January 23 (RAPSI) - A new investigation has been initiated against former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in connection with allegations of witness tampering in a prostitution trial, The Guardian reported Thursday.

Berlusconi issued a statement Thursday accusing judges and prosecutors of having been motivated by political reasons, but said: "I will remain in place, more convinced than ever of the need to keep fighting for what I believe in profoundly," according to the report.

RIA Novosti reported in June that Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison and banned from public office as a result. The Guardian noted that the sentence will not enter into effect until the appeals process has been completed, and that Berlusconi has filed an appeal.

According to RIA Novosti, the case against Berlusconi was opened in April 2011. Investigators alleged that the politician had engaged in intimate relations with an under-aged dancer, the Morocco-born Karima El Mahroug, who goes by the name "Ruby,” in exchange for gifts and money.

The sentence was more severe than expected, as the prosecutor sought only six years against the former prime minister. Berlusconi was not present in the courtroom, though an array of journalists from around the globe packed in to watch as the verdict was handed down.