Milan, 28 April (LaPresse) – "The procedure regarding the pardon for Nicole Minetti was conducted in full compliance with the regulations. The application was submitted by the convicted person to the President of the Republic, who, as is customary, forwarded the documents to the Ministry of Justice for preliminary investigation. This was referred, as required, to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office, in this case that of Milan, which acted with complete independence, carrying out all necessary investigations on the basis of the documentation provided by the convicted person and her defence team.” This is what the Deputy Minister of Justice, Francesco Paolo Sisto, told Rainews 24, adding: “The Ministry then collated the findings and issued an opinion – not a proposal, and not binding – which was favourable based on the evidence submitted and available. Today, new details have emerged in the press: whilst applauding investigative journalism, it is nevertheless correct that such reports should be verified, and carefully so. Should there prove to be significant discrepancies with regard to what was presented by the applicant for a pardon, it will be equally right to draw the appropriate conclusions.‘ ’At this stage,‘ he emphasised, ’it is necessary to exercise the utmost caution. One cannot make hasty judgements or speculate on liability without the investigations being concluded. The original investigations were based on the material available at the time, and it cannot be ruled out that new evidence may now offer a different interpretation of the facts. The Ministry has done what it had to do: faced with new reports, it has referred the matter back to the Attorney General’s Office, which has the investigative tools, including abroad, to verify the validity of the information that has emerged.”