The Italian justice minister is facing calls for her resignation after admitting she used her influence to get the daughter of a high profile businessman out of prison.<br /><br />Anna Maria Cancellieri says she stepped in out of concern for the health of Giulia Ligresti who has anorexia and anxiety.<br /><br />Ligresti had been arrested along with her father and sister during an investigation into false accounting at insurer Fondiaria SAI which her family controlled until last year.<br /><br />When asked by a journalist why she had intervened, Cancellieri replied: “I did it because a prisoner could have died. Let me be clear about this. If she had died, what would have happened?Tell me – who would have been responsible? Or maybe because someone has a well-known name they aren’t treated the same. Aren’t we all equal before the law?” <br /><br />The scandal broke after La Repubblica newspaper published the transcript of a tapped phone conversation where Cancellieri told the Ligestri family “you can count on me.”<br /><br />Cancellieri has a long-standing friendship with the Ligestri family. Her son earned several million euros as an executive working for Fondiaria SAI, fuelling accusations of a conflict of interest.<br /><br />The opposition 5-star movement says it will put forward a no-confidence motion against her.<br /><br />If Cancellieri does quit it will be a blow for Prime Minister Letta’s already fragile left-right coalition. <br /><br />O Italian justice minister urged to quit over allegations she got family friend out of jail<br /><br />The Italian justice minister is facing calls for her resignation after admitting she used her influence to get the daughter of a high profile businessman out of prison.<br /><br />Anna Maria Cancellieri says she stepped in out of concern for the health of Giulia Ligresti who has anorexia and anxiety.<br /><br />Ligresti had been arrested along with her father and sister during an investigation into false accounting at insurer Fondiaria SAI which her family controlled until last year.<br /><br />When asked by a journalist why she had intervened, Cancellieri replied: “I did it because a prisoner could have died. Let me be clear about this. If she had died, what would have happened?Tell me – who would have been responsible? Or maybe because someone has a well-known name they aren’t treated the same. Aren’t we all equal before the law?” <br /><br />The scandal broke after La Repubblica newspaper published the transcript of a tapped phone conversation where Cancellieri told the Ligestri family “you can count on me.”<br /><br />Cancellieri has a long-standing friendship with the Ligestri family. Her son earned several million euros as an executive working for Fondiaria SAI, fuelling accusations of a conflict of interest.<br /><br />The opposition 5-star movement says it will put forward a no-confidence motion against her.<br /><br />If Cancellieri does quit it will be a blow for Prime Minister Letta’s already fragile left-right coalition.
