The Tribunal of Ministers in Rome has concluded its investigation into the failure to hand over Libyan General Najeem Osama Almasri to the International Criminal Court and is preparing to decide whether to close the case or proceed with a request for the indictment of four key figures in the current government: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, and Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano.
The magistrates are charged, to varying degrees, with the crimes of aiding and abetting, embezzlement, and failure to perform official duties.
At the center of the investigation is the handling of the detention of General Almasri, arrested in Turin on January 19th on a warrant from the Hague Court and then quickly repatriated to Libya at the request of the Tripoli government and with the direct involvement of several Italian ministries.
The investigation focused specifically on the role of the Minister of Justice. Records show that within hours of his arrest, the Ministry of Justice was informed of the seriousness of the case. Giusi Bartolozzi, Nordio's chief of staff, received communications from the Department of Justice and urged extreme caution, suggesting avoiding official exchanges and using encrypted channels. This behavior, according to the judges, could indicate a conscious intent to circumvent the procedure required for cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
In his parliamentary reconstruction, Nordio stated that he had received only a vague report on Sunday 19 January and that he had been formally informed the following day .
But documents acquired during the investigation indicate that the complete indictment, signed by the judges at The Hague, had already been broadcast via the Prisma platform on Sunday afternoon.
Despite internal attempts within the ministry to "remedy" the arrest with a provision to be submitted to the minister for signature, the order was never formalized .
The general was instead expelled two days later, on a state flight, in compliance with Libya's request. Piantedosi also appears to have been involved in the repatriation process.
The Minister of Justice was summoned to be heard as an indicted person but announced that he was unable to attend due to other commitments.
At that point, the defense—led by attorney Giulia Bongiorno—suggested that Undersecretary Mantovano be interviewed. Bartolozzi herself was questioned as a witness.
With the filing of the documents, the Tribunal of Ministers is moving toward a decision that could have significant political impact. The decision between dismissing the case and committing a key member of the executive branch to trial is expected in the coming weeks.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)