Aus claims Bollywood actor had sex with troops in Afghanistan

SYDNEY: Claims that a Bollywood actress had sex with troops while touring an Australian military base in Afghanistan were under investigation, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Thursday.

Rudd was reluctant to comment on the sex scandal claims surrounding London-based Australian actress Tania Zaetta — who has denied the allegations — saying it was best left to Australia’s defence department.

The allegations surround a tour to Australian military bases in Afghanistan last month undertaken by Zaetta and a number of other entertainers. Sydney’s Daily Telegraph reported that unsubstantiated claims Zaetta had sex with troops at one of the bases were detailed in a departmental briefing note prepared for Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.

Zaetta has strenuously denied the allegations. “This is the most ridiculous story I’ve heard about my life, and I’ve heard plenty over the years in this industry,” she told the Telegraph.

Zaetta, 37, rose to prominence in Australia as a game show host and went on to feature in a number of Bollywood productions, including a recent Charlie’s Angels-style hit, Mr. Black, Mr. White.

Fitzgibbon said he had ordered an inquiry into how his briefing note — officially referred to as a “hot issue brief” —became public. The Defence Department has issued an unreserved apology to celebrity Tania Zaetta.