The Minetti case becomes a ticking time bomb. In an unusual letter addressed to the Ministry of Justice, known until 1999 as the Ministry of Justice, the Quirinale requested clarification from Minister Carlo Nordio regarding "alleged falsehoods" in the preliminary investigation that ultimately led to President Sergio Mattarella's signature on the clemency measure. The pardon granted to Nicole Minetti, famous for the "heartbreaker Ruby" affair, passed off as the niece of Egyptian President Mubarak , effectively erased the 3-year and 11-month sentences for aiding and abetting prostitution and embezzlement (from the Rimborsopoli and Ruby ter trials), which Minetti would have been required to serve in community service.

The scandal burst after an investigation by "Il Fatto Quotidiano" revealed a series of unflattering details about Minetti's current life, raising doubts about the legality of the adoption of a minor with serious health problems . This latter aspect was said to have been crucial in granting the pardon. Essentially, according to the newspaper, Minetti had made false statements in his pardon request. Minetti's response came a few hours later and was firm: "The information disseminated is baseless and seriously damaging to my personal and family reputation," he stated, announcing legal action.

Today, however, with the terse letter to the Minister of Justice, the President—who has not spoken directly with Nordio—wants to dispel any doubts as quickly as possible. The tone of the Quirinale's statement reveals the President's irritation, even though the Quirinale explained that it was not a pro or con stance, based solely on the approximately 50 files of the investigation conducted by the Milan prosecutor's office.

The document indicated that Minetti had radically changed her life even after becoming the partner of Giuseppe Cipriani Jr. (also targeted by Il Fatto) , a family famous worldwide for Harry's Bar. Quirinale sources emphasized that the President of the Republic " does not have independent investigative tools to ascertain the facts presented and bases his decision on the documents submitted to him as well as on the assessments formulated in this regard by the judicial authorities and the Minister of Justice." It is therefore clear that the buck was precisely passed back to Carlo Nordio, who guaranteed an initial response within 24 hours.

And it arrived cryptically that evening: "Regarding the pardon proceedings involving Ms. Nicole Minetti, the Ministry of Justice announces that none of the negative elements presented in recent press articles are included in the proceedings." Essentially, it seems, what arrived at Via Arenula from the Prosecutor's Office contained nothing of what "Il Fatto Quotidiano" reported. Clearly, this is not a denial to the newspaper. But the investigations have begun—and must be thorough—are also evident from a note from the Milan Prosecutor's Office, which immediately took action: "We have submitted the request, as the Attorney General's Office, and we are awaiting authorization from the Ministry of Justice to conduct further investigations based on what is emerging," said Gaetano Brusa, Deputy Prosecutor of the Milan Court of Appeal. This authorization arrived that evening.

It won't be easy, and likely not quickly, to get answers, as the prosecutor's office is still waiting for the ministry's approval to investigate abroad, specifically in Uruguay, where the Minetti-Cipriani couple lives part of the year. The political world is watching this truly peculiar case more or less silently, even as the opposition is taking advantage of the situation to attack minister Carlo Nordio, already weakened by the referendum defeat and the forced resignation of his cabinet chief, Giusi Bartolozzi. "What is Giorgia Meloni waiting for to force Minister Carlo Nordio to step down? There's no more time to waste: his tenure at the Ministry of Justice is proving extremely damaging, and the ministry appears to lack leadership and control," the Democratic Party (PD) and its Justice Minister, Debora Serracchiani, attack.

(Unioneonline)

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