Italy prosecutors clear contested presidential pardon after probe

MILAN, June 3 (Reuters) – Italian prosecutors on Wednesday cleared a presidential pardon granted to a former showgirl, who was close to late Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, saying fresh checks found no basis to overturn the disputed clemency decision.

Nicole Minetti was sentenced to two years and 10 months in jail in 2019 for procuring sex workers for Berlusconi’s raunchy “bunga bunga” parties. She subsequently received an additional 13-month sentence for misuse of public funds.

As the cumulative term was under four years, she avoided having to go to prison, but was due to carry out community service. However, she appealed for a presidential pardon on humanitarian grounds, saying the poor health of her adopted child meant she could not leave his side.

This pardon was granted in February, but Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper said there had been inconsistencies in Minetti’s case and raised questions over the adoption of the child in Uruguay – a key element in the request for clemency.

UNUSUAL INVESTIGATION INTO PARDON

In a highly unusual move, President Sergio Mattarella asked the justice ministry in April to check that everything was in order, with the police and Interpol subsequently sent into action to see if Minetti had lied in her application.

The prosecutor general’s office in Milan said the investigation had found no wrongdoing.

“Facts reported in press articles … do not correspond to the truth and no elements have emerged that conflict with the evidence already gathered,” a statement said.

Authorities said the adoption of Minetti’s child had been lawfully recognised in Italy, with no legal challenge from the biological parents.

Prosecutors also confirmed there were no pending investigations involving Minetti or her partner abroad. They dismissed press allegations that Minetti, a former showgirl and dental hygienist who later became a regional councillor, had taken part in recent drug-fuelled parties in Uruguay.

Separately, investigators confirmed the serious medical condition of the adopted child, who requires ongoing treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital and the presence of his mother during care.

The findings effectively remove any grounds for revisiting the pardon decision.

Opposition politicians had called for the resignation of Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, who had recommended clemency, arguing that the case exposed flaws in how pardon requests are assessed.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Emilio Parodi; Editing by Alex Richardson)