Italian magistrates open urgent probe into pardon for former Berlusconi showgirl
By Crispian Balmer
ROME, April 28 (Reuters) – Italian judges said on Tuesday they had launched emergency checks to determine whether Nicole Minetti, an ally of the late Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, lied to secure a presidential pardon for her conviction in the orgy scandal.
The case embarrassed both President Sergio Mattarella and the Justice Department and raised questions about the extent to which authorities controlled the humanitarian claims behind the clemency award, which was initially kept secret.
Minetti has denied forging his application, but Mattarella took the unusual step of publicly calling on the department to review the case after a newspaper questioned key parts of his appeal.
Minetti, a former dental hygienist and showgirl, was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison in 2019 for supplying sex workers for Berlusconi’s raunchy “bunga bunga” parties. Two years later he was sentenced to a further 13 months in prison for misusing public funds.
ALLEGED INCONSISTENCY IN AMNESTY REQUESTS
He avoided prison because the total term was under four years, but he was required to perform community service. However, he requested presidential pardon on humanitarian grounds, saying that the poor health of the child he adopted meant that he could not leave his side.
After months of review, the pardon was granted in February but was leaked to the Italian press this month.
The newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano later reported alleged inconsistencies in Minetti’s case, raising questions about the adoption of the child with serious health problems; This was an important element in the amnesty request.
Minetti’s lawyers had said the child was a Uruguayan orphan, but Il Fatto said he found court documents indicating that the child’s parents were alive at the time of the adoption in 2023 and were trying to prevent it from proceeding.
Il Fatto Quotidiano also questioned whether the child needed some kind of ongoing medical care for which his stepmother could not suffer.
Milan chief prosecutor’s office said that it launched an investigation through Interpol regarding the “very serious” allegations in the press and was seeking information from abroad.
Italian newspapers reported that when the judges reviewed the initial pardon request, they did not seek confirmation from Uruguay on various details presented by Minetti.
Once the checks are complete, Milan judges said they could revise their original recommendation for clemency.
In Italy, presidential pardons are officially granted by the head of state, but their decisions are based on dossiers prepared by the Ministry of Justice, which are effective but non-binding.
Opposition politicians called for the resignation of Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, who offered amnesty in Minetti’s case.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer, Editing by Gareth Jones)
