Interpol checks ordered over Minetti pardon as pressure grows on clemency case

Rome— International police checks have been launched into the controversial pardon granted to Nicole Minetti, a statuesque former Lombardy regional councillor, dental hygienist and madame providing sex workers for the late pime minister Silvio Berlusconi, amid questions over whether the clemency request was based on accurate information.

The move follows a request from the Quirinale for the Justice Ministry to urgently verify whether the circumstances that led the President of the Republic to sign the pardon were fully substantiated.

Milan’s Prosecutor General’s Office has now tasked Interpol with carrying out inquiries abroad, reportedly spanning Uruguay, Ibiza and other jurisdictions linked to Minetti’s recent life.

At the centre of the controversy are claims raised in an investigation by Il Fatto Quotidiano suggesting that parts of the pardon application may have presented a misleading picture of Minetti’s personal circumstances and rehabilitation.

Prosecutor General Francesca Nanni reportedly described the allegations as involving “very serious facts”, while Deputy Prosecutor General Gaetano Brusa is assisting in the review.

Investigators are said to be examining Minetti’s family situation, including the adoption of a child and claims concerning medical treatment in the United States. Reports also indicate scrutiny of any possible criminal proceedings in Uruguay or Spain.

Should evidence emerge that materially differs from the account presented in the clemency request, legal sources say an unprecedented revocation of the pardon could be considered. Any false declarations could also open the way to fresh criminal proceedings.

Minetti, through her lawyers, strongly rejected the allegations, saying media reconstructions were “unfounded and harmful”, and in breach of protections for minors.

She said she trusted the competent authorities to establish the truth and announced possible civil and criminal legal action over what she called false claims.

The case now runs parallel to growing political controversy over the granting of the pardon. Officials in Milan defended their handling of the original process, saying they acted on a standard delegation from the Justice Ministry and carried out the required checks.

Minetti, now 41, first rose to prominence during the Ruby scandal and the so-called Arcore parties. She had been convicted over prostitution exploitation charges and separately for embezzlement.

The final decision on any further action will ultimately rest with the Presidency.

PS