Milan prosecutors confirm Minetti pardon was regular, dismiss media allegations as unfounded

The Milan Prosecutor General's Office has concluded a supplementary investigation into the pardon granted to former Lombardy regional councillor Nicole Minetti, definitively confirming the regularity of the clemency procedure. The investigation, requested by President Sergio Mattarella following a press campaign, found that the allegations published by 'Il Fatto Quotidiano' were unfounded.

The allegations and the investigation

The probe was launched after 'Il Fatto Quotidiano' published an investigation questioning the legitimacy of the pardon. The newspaper raised doubts about the adoption procedure of Minetti's son in Uruguay, reported claims of sex and drug parties at her partner's estate, and suggested irregularities in the couple's legal affairs. The Prosecutor General's Office, led by Francesca Nanni, conducted checks in Italy and Uruguay, including witness interviews and document verification.

The facts reported in the press articles from which this supplementary activity originated do not correspond to the truth and no facts have emerged that conflict with the evidentiary framework already acquired.

The findings

The prosecutors systematically dismantled the key claims. The death of a lawyer involved in the adoption, which the newspaper had described as occurring in unclear circumstances, was found to be unrelated to any crime according to Uruguayan authorities. The report confirmed there was no legal battle over the child's custody, as the biological parents never came forward. No criminal records or pending investigations were found against Minetti or her partner Giuseppe Cipriani in Uruguay or Spain. Testimonies collected contradicted the masseuse's accounts of parties at the Punta del Este estate.

The adoption and medical care

The investigation confirmed the adoption was authorized by Uruguay's Institute for Children and Adolescents (INAU) and transcribed by the Venice Tribunal. The child, who was abandoned at birth due to a condition requiring costly care, was legally taken by Minetti to the United States for specialist treatment at Boston Children's Hospital, with documented medical consultations in New York and Cleveland.

Reactions

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio stated that the matter is now closed, describing the press reports as "fake news, purely invented." Minetti's legal team announced they will seek damages from 'Il Fatto Quotidiano' for over fifty articles, as well as from television programs 'È sempre Cartabianca' and 'Report'. The case now returns to the Quirinale for a final decision, with a Surveillance Court hearing scheduled for 12 June expected to confirm the cancellation of the sentence.

I believe the matter ends here because the opinion of the Prosecutor General's Office, following very meticulous investigations, is crystal clear.

Background

Minetti had been definitively sentenced to three years and eleven months for embezzlement and aiding and abetting prostitution in the 'Ruby bis' trial. The pardon, signed by President Mattarella on 18 February 2026, was motivated by humanitarian reasons related to the health of her adopted son, whose medical needs required travel incompatible with the restrictions of Italian social services.