Nicole Minetti, a former dental hygienist and regional councilor in Lombardy, has been pardoned by the President of the Republic. The news was revealed on the Rai 3 program "Mi Manda."

She had been definitively sentenced to 13 months for embezzlement in the so-called "Rimborsopoli" case, involving expenses incurred with reimbursements to Lombardy regional councilors. She also received a two-year and ten-month sentence for inducing prostitution in the "Ruby bis" trial, concerning the so-called "elegant dinners."

The pardon was issued in recent weeks, following the approval of Justice Minister Nordio and the chief prosecutor of the Court of Appeal.

Quirinale sources clarified: "The granting of the act of clemency—which the competent Attorney General of the Court of Appeal expressed in a comprehensive opinion—was also based on the serious health conditions of a close relative of Minetti, a minor, who requires special care and treatment at highly specialized hospitals. The legislation protecting the sensitive data of minors does not allow for the disclosure of details about the minor's health."

Minetti was elected regional councilor in Lombardy in 2010 at just 25 years old, running on President Roberto Formigoni's ticket. A candidacy, it was said at the time, strongly supported by President Berlusconi.

(Unioneonline)