MILAN, Italy – Nicole Minetti, Silvio Berlusconi’s glamorous former aide and a central figure in Italy’s infamous “bunga bunga” scandal, is back in a new political controversy gripping the nation.
She is back at the center of Italy’s political debate after a presidential pardon granted to her earlier this year burst into the headlines to become a major judicial and political headache for Giorgia Meloni’s government.
Italian magistrates are now re-examining whether the humanitarian reasons behind Minetti’s plea for clemency were accurately presented, after reports raised doubts about key elements of her case.
FINDINGS MOVED Sergio Mattarella, the Italian president who signed the pardon in February, to take the unusual step of publicly asking the justice ministry to re-verify the file.
“The president has instructed that the necessary information be obtained urgently to verify the accuracy of what has been reported by the press,” Mattarella’s office. has written in a letter addressed to the Ministry of Justice.
Minetti’s case is rooted in the scandal that defined Berlusconi’s final years in power.
In the so-called “bunga bunga” case – a term that became shorthand for the former prime minister’s private parties – courts found she helped recruit women for events where guests were paid to attend and, in some cases, provide sexual services.
She was eventually sentenced to two years and 10 months for prostitution, followed by another 13 months for misusing public funds.
The pardon was based on the need to care for a child adopted in Uruguay, described as seriously ill and requiring constant help abroad, a claim now at the center of the investigation.
Reports have indeed suggested that the child, a boy, may not have been an orphan, with indications that his biological parents were still alive and had opposed the adoption. The hospitals mentioned in the request are said to have no records of the child’s treatment, while Uruguayan media have pointed to possible irregularities in the way the adoption was handled.
The adoption itself is under scrutiny, with Uruguayan media reporting possible irregularities in the way the procedure was handled.
More broadly, the case is exposing gaps in the vetting process. Key elements appear to have been largely assessed in documentation provided by Minetti’s legal team, without direct checks with Uruguayan authorities, with new checks now in place COMMITTED by the prosecutors of Milan through the channels of international cooperation.
Minetti has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the information presented in her application was correct and calling out allegations against her “baseless”.
The case puts the justice ministry under pressure again just weeks after the resignation of an undersecretary and chief of staff.
“We have documents that show that we have complied with all procedures to the extent of 101%” said Carlo Nordio, Minister of Justice, on Monday.
Opposition parties have CALLED for Nordio’s resignation, while Meloni has stood by her minister of justice.
“This procedure followed the same path as all others and was conducted in full compliance with the law and established practice. said on Wednesday during a press conference, insisting she trusts Nordios and rules out any resignation.
(w)
