The former Miss Italy finalist who has accused film mogul Harvey Weinstein of molesting her tried to use the accusation to secure a movie role, it has been alleged.

Ambra Battilana, 22, did not 'co-operate' with authorities for four days after her initial report to police saying she was groped by Weinstein during a 'business meeting' at his office in Manhattan.

It has been claimed the delay was because the Italian model and her manager were working behind the scenes to try and land her a film role.

But once the 'pipe dream' came to nothing, she decided to pursue the criminal case, sources told the New York Post.

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Accusations: Italian model Ambra Battilana, 22, told police the Hollywood producer groped her and put his hand up her skirt during a 'business meeting' at his Tribeca office in Manhattan last Friday night

Beauty queen: Battilana is pictured left during the Miss Italia contest in Rome in 2011 and right in 2010

After filing her police report on Friday, March 27, Battilana was eventually interviewed by Manhattan DA prosecutors on Wednesday, April 1, at the NYPD Special Victims Squad's office in East Harlem.

Sources told the New York Post her former lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, withdrew from the case as he was concerned Battilana did not appear to be a 'serious victim'.

The day after submitting her police report, the Italian model attended a Saturday matinee of the Weinstein-produced Broadway play 'Finding Neverland' and even tweeted a photo of her $277, sixth-row orchestra seat.

But her new lawyer, David Godosky, refuted the claims, saying: 'She immediately went to the police, immediately cooperating with the Special Victims Squad.'

Out and about: Harvey Weinstein is pictured leaving his New York townhouse yesterday, nearly a week after he allegedly groped a model. He voluntarily spoke with authorities and is cooperating with their investigation

Weinstein, who has produced several Oscar-winning films, such as Shakespeare in Love, Pulp Fiction and The King's Speech, is said to have met Battilana on Thursday last week at the opening of a show at Radio City Music Hall.

The next day he invited her for a business meeting at his Tribeca Film Festival office on Friday night.

She claimed the 63-year-old Hollywood producer asked her if her breasts were real before touching them and putting his hand up her skirt. He also asked her for a kiss, she claimed.

Security footage shows the model speaking on the phone as she exited the building half an hour after arriving, it has been reported.

Mr Weinstein has spoken to police and denied the accusations, but a recorded conversation between him and Battilana shows he did not deny the incident, it has been claimed.

'He didn't deny doing what she said he did to her,' the source told the New York Daily News. 'The content of the phone call, there's no question about what he did.'

She also convinced him to meet him a restaurant and the NYPD were also there to watch that meeting, according to the newspaper.

It is not clear if he was aware he was being monitored, but following the call and the meeting, he voluntarily went to speak with police on Saturday.

He requested a lawyer and has promised full cooperation with the probe.

Weinstein could face misdemeanor charges of forcible touching or sexual abuse if the allegations are credible. No charges have been filed and his representatives say they believe he will be cleared.

'We are confident that we will be fully vindicated,' a Weinstein spokesman said.

A source close to The Weinstein Company told Page Six the groping allegations were nothing more than a 'blackmail attempt' and insisted the award-winning producer 'did nothing wrong'.

Model: Battilana (pictured) claims he assaulted her at his office on Friday after meeting him at a red carpet event on Thursday night. Afterwards, she called police and they monitored a phone conversation with him

The day after submitting her police report, the Italian model attended a Saturday matinee of the Weinstein-produced Broadway play 'Finding Neverland' and ever tweeted a photo of her $277, sixth-row orchestra seat

Under surveillance: Following the alleged incident, she arranged to meet with him at the restaurant of the Tribeca Grand Hotel (pictured) and the meeting was monitored by police, according to reports

Weinstein's camp have dismissed Battilana as an opportunist with a suspect past.

It has emerged that Battilana previously told Italian authorities she witnessed a so-called 'bunga-bunga' orgy involving disgraced Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi at his Milan mansion in 2010.

She claimed she had seen young models performing stripteases and baring their breasts to be kissed by the Italian leader during a raunchy dinner party.

It was also revealed she told Italian police in 2010 she was 'forced against' her will into having sex for money with a 70-year-old 'businessman of substantial means' when she was underage.

Battilana met the wealthy car dealer in September 2009 when she was under 18 and therefore below the age of consent for prostitution in Italy, according to Italian newspaper reports.

In her police statement, she said the man invited her into his car, where he then caressed 'my hand and left leg' and proposed 'that I become his 'playmate', she said.

Battilana said he then gave her a bag with €2,000, before assuring her it was only 'an advance of the €5,000 he would give me every month'.

She added: 'Despite the indecency of the proposal, both because of my psychological subjection in which I found myself and because of the severe poverty of my family I felt forced against my will not to refuse the money.'

Weinstein has been married to his second wife, 38-year-old fashion designer Georgina Chapman, since 2007. The couple have two young children together

The relationship ended when she was accepted into the Miss Italia 2010 pageant.

Prosecutors in Italy asked for the rape allegation to be dismissed in 2012 but it was not reported whether the judge granted the dismissal - although it is likely it would have been carried out.

In 2012, the Alba prosecutor told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Battilana never showed up to talk to them about her police complaint so they were unable to verify her claims.

After becoming famous through the Miss Italia pageant, Battilana began modeling professionally in 2011, according to social media. She works internationally in Milan, London, Paris and New York.

She recently shot an editorial campaign for Bambi magazine in Agent Provocateur lingerie.

Weinstein, who is originally from Queens, New York, founded Miramax studio with his brother Bob in 1979 and is worth an estimated $200 million.

He is married to British-born fashion designer Georgina Chapman, 38, who founded the luxury label Marchesa.

The couple have been together for seven years and have a young son and daughter.

Weintein also has three older daughters from his first marriage to his former assistant, Eve Chilton, which ended in 2004.