Italian Presidential Pardon Sparks Wide-Ranging Scandal Amid Questions of Integrity and Governance
Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella has requested urgent clarification from the justice ministry following reports that a woman close to late ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may have obtained an official pardon on false pretences. Nicole Minetti, who was convicted of facilitating prostitution in connection with Berlusconi’s notorious “bunga bunga” parties and embezzlement, was quietly granted presidential clemency in February. The case has now exploded into the headlines after an investigation by Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper raised doubts over the pardon, which was granted on humanitarian grounds following advice from the justice ministry.
Milan prosecutors said that Interpol had been approached as part of an investigation into allegations of false declarations surrounding the pardon. The developing scandal comes at an awkward moment for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government is struggling to recover ground after losing an important recent referendum on judicial reform. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio is now facing renewed calls from opposition politicians to resign.
Minetti herself has denied any irregularity, stating that the newspaper’s claims about her pardon request were “unfounded and seriously damaging to my personal and family reputation”. Described as a TV showgirl, Minetti is also a qualified dental hygienist who treated Berlusconi after he was physically attacked at a Milan rally. Her involvement in the case has raised questions about her credibility.
An investigation by Il Fatto Quotidiano has uncovered what it says are irregularities in the adoption process and misleading information submitted in the case for pardon, including allegations that Minetti described an adopted child as being abandoned at birth when court papers show both parents are still alive. The paper also reports that the couple took the boy to the United States for treatment after medical consultations in Italy, but there appears to be no record of those consultations.
The scandal has prompted opposition MPs to call on the justice minister to resign, saying his actions have dragged the country’s head of state into a scandal and damaging public trust.
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