Rome , Italy ( CNN ) -- A businessman and his wife were arrested on charges of blackmailing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi , Italian police said Thursday . The blackmail allegations are linked to a sex scandal surrounding Berlusconi for months . Gianpaolo Tarantini , 36 , and Angela Devenuto , 34 , were arrested at their Rome home and brought to Naples to be questioned by prosecutors . A judge issued an arrest warrant for a third person , Valter Lavitola , who authorities said was the link between Berlusconi and Tarantini . Lavitola is believed to be out of the country . Tarantini , who is accused of paying escorts to go to parties with Berlusconi , has said the leader was not aware of the payments . But , according to the Naples 's prosecutors , Berlusconi was a victim of `` veiled and implied threats '' and paid 500,000 euros ( $ 714,250 ) to Tarantini . Berlusconi told the Panorama newspaper , owned by his media group , that he gave the money to Tarantini as an act of charity . `` Through Lavitola , '' Berlusconi told Panorama , `` I helped a person ( Tarantini ) with a family and kids , which is now in very bad economic situation . I have nothing to repent of . I did n't do anything illicit ; I just helped a desperate man without pretending nothing ( anything ) in exchange . '' Tarantini said he will cooperate with authorities . He denied he blackmailed Berlusconi , to whom he expressed his `` gratitude for all what he did for he and for my family . '' In a separate case , Berlusconi is presently on trial in Milan for allegedly paying for sex with a then-17-year-old Moroccan belly dancer named Karima el Mahroug , nicknamed `` Ruby the Heart-stealer . '' The Berlusconi sex scandal explained . He is charged with abuse of power because prosecutors say he phoned a police station -- where she was being held on theft charges -- to have her released . Berlusconi has repeatedly denied all of the allegations , even joking about how unlikely it is that a man his age would be capable of the sexual feats some have claimed . `` I 'm 74 years old and even though I may be a bit of a rascal , 33 girls in two months seems to me too much even for a 30-year-old . '' In 2009 , his wife of 19 years , Veronica Lario , filed for divorce and publicly accused her husband of `` consorting with minors '' after he attended the 18th birthday party of an aspiring TV actress and model called Noemi Letizia . Berlusconi said the young woman was the daughter of a friend and that he had done nothing inappropriate . Noemi Letizia and her family also said there was nothing improper . That same year , another young woman , Patrizia D'Addario , alleged she and other girls were paid to attend parties at Berlusconi 's residence . Berlusconi denied the claim , telling his weekly magazine Chi : `` I never understood where the satisfaction is when you 're missing the pleasure of conquest . '' El Mahroug has denied having sex with the premier . Both admit that he gave her money , although they say it was an act of kindness to help the young girl . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report .
Couple meet at their family home . They are accused of blackmailing the Italian prime minister . Berlusconi says he received the family money out of jealousy .