:: Minister of Defence

The law assigns the political responsibility for the activities of SISMI to the Minister of Defence, to whom SISMI reports directly. The Minister of Defence establishes the statute of the Service and oversees its activities in compliance with the President of the Council of Ministers’ directives and provisions. SISMI must inform the Minister on all the information received or otherwise held, the analyses and assessments it develops, the operations it carries out and all its other activities. The Minister, with the explicit consent of the President of the Council of Ministers, has the delicate task of deciding whether to delay communication of information or evidence related to offences to the appropriate criminal police bodies, when and if required to fulfil the statutory aims of the Services. (art. 9 law n. 801/77).