Versace legal saga continues

CANBERRA: Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace testified by satellite link-up on Wednesday in a defamation case against a Sydney private detective whose book alleges her family had Mafia links.

The Versace empire is suing the author, Frank Monte, for defamation over claims made in his book, The Spying Game, which has been banned from sale pending the case's outcome.

Appearing on screen in the Sydney courtroom on the third day of the trial, Versace rejected the book's claims including that she had met Monte.

Monte claims in his book that he worked as a bodyguard in 1996-1997 for fashion designer Gianni Versace, who confided in him about family dealings with the mafia.

Monte's former girlfriend told the court Tuesday that Monte fabricated links with Versace by forging faxes.

The book also alleges that Gianni was killed by the Mafia in cahoots with Donatella and her other brother, Santo.

Donatella and Santo Versace both vehemently deny the allegation.

Gianni Versace was gunned down outside his Miami home on July 15, 1997. The gunman, Andrew Cunanan, also wanted for four other murders, killed himself nine days later. -- AP