President Mattarella Demands Answers on Nicole Minetti Pardon After Il Fatto Quotidiano Investigation
President Sergio Mattarella of Italy has formally requested an urgent explanation from the justice ministry concerning the controversial pardon granted to Nicole Minetti. Minetti, previously convicted for facilitating prostitution in connection with Silvio Berlusconi's infamous 'bunga bunga' parties and for embezzlement, received presidential clemency in February.
The clemency, extended on 'extraordinary' humanitarian grounds, relied on advice from the justice ministry. However, an investigation by Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper has since cast significant doubt on the veracity of the claims supporting the pardon, alleging irregularities in an adoption process and misleading information.
On Tuesday, Milanese prosecutors confirmed they have approached Interpol, signalling a widening international dimension to the investigation into alleged false declarations surrounding the pardon application. This development places renewed pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration, particularly Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, who faces amplified calls for his resignation from opposition politicians.
Minetti herself has refuted any wrongdoing, asserting through her solicitor that the newspaper’s allegations are 'unfounded and seriously damaging to my personal and family reputation'.
The scandal highlights Minetti's intricate past; once a dental hygienist who treated Berlusconi, she was later nominated by him for a regional council seat in Lombardy. Her previous convictions stem from her role in procuring prostitutes for Berlusconi's villa parties, including for Karima El Mahroug, known as 'Ruby'. Minetti was sentenced to a combined 3 years and 11 months, which was suspended pending appeal.
Her pardon request, submitted in 2015, cited her care for a child adopted in Uruguay with severe health issues. Il Fatto Quotidiano alleges that Minetti misrepresented the child's circumstances, claiming abandonment at birth despite court records indicating the parents are alive, albeit destitute. Furthermore, the newspaper claims a lack of documented Italian medical consultations before the child was taken to the United States for treatment.
Deputy Justice Minister Francesco Paolo Sisto has acknowledged the need for renewed scrutiny, attributing it not to negligence but to 'not entirely proper conduct' by Minetti. A new investigation will assess whether these 'new elements' fundamentally compromise the original pardon recommendation, thereby drawing the head of state into a politically charged controversy, given the President's reliance on ministerial guidance for such decisions.
