Adinolfi accused of running a fraudulent multi-million euro "collective betting" scheme for two decades.Italian right-wing journalist and politician Mario Adinolfi was placed under house arrest on Wednesday after Rome prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations of fraud, illegal collection of savings and tax evasion.Adinolfi, 57, is a well-known figure in Italian public life. A former journalist and member of parliament, he is the founder and leader of the ultra-conservative Il Popolo della Famiglia (People of the Family) party, and is also known as a high-level professional poker player. Collective betting scheme According to Italy's financial police, the case centres on a scheme called "Scommessa collettiva" ("collective betting"), which Adinolfi launched and promoted, reportedly since 2005 and largely through social media. Participants were asked to pay an initial stake, said to range from €3,000 to €10,000, into a shared fund that Adinolfi and an unspecified "team of experts" would use to place sports bets, with promised returns of up to 40 per cent a year. Profits, and eventually the initial investment, were supposedly due to be returned to participants, generally on a quarterly basis. Complaints Prosecutors allege that many participants never received either their returns or their original stakes back. Investigators have gathered around 10 formal complaints from alleged victims, some of whom reportedly invested more than €100,000 each. Based on a reconstruction of Adinolfi's bank accounts, magistrates estimate the scheme caused overall losses of roughly €5 million, only part of which was linked to actual betting activity; the rest is said to have gone on personal expenses, including luxury watches, gold bars and foreign currency, artwork, boats and travel, as well as transfers to third parties. Separately, he is accused of evading around €400,000 in taxes linked to the scheme, a sum now subject to a seizure order. Investigation In the pre-trial custody order, the investigating judge reportedly cited a risk of reoffending, noting that Adinolfi had recently launched a new fundraising initiative, called "Cristo Regna," using similar methods, and flagged concerns that he could pressure vulnerable alleged victims into retracting their complaints. The case was originally brought to light by an investigation from the television programme Le Iene, whose reporter Adinolfi clashed with in public in April, an episode that reportedly ended with Adinolfi pulling the journalist's hair. Adinolfi has previously denied the allegations, attributing delays in repayments to bureaucratic hold-ups and anti-money-laundering checks. He has a prior conviction for defamation dating from 2019. Over the years Adinolfi has built a reputation for provocative stunts and controversial positions; last month he attended Rome's Pride parade carrying a large Israeli flag, drawing a barrage of criticism. Photo Mario Adinolfi - Facebook

Italian right-wing journalist and politician Mario Adinolfi was placed under house arrest on Wednesday after Rome prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations of fraud, illegal collection of savings and tax evasion. Adinolfi, 57, is a well-known figure in Italian public life. A former journalist and member of parliament, he is the founder and leader of the ultra-conservative Il Popolo della Famiglia (People of the Family) party, and is also known as a high-level professional poker player. According to Italy's financial police, the case centres on a scheme called "Scommessa collettiva" ("collective betting"), which Adinolfi launched and promoted, reportedly since 2005 and largely through social media. Participants were asked to pay an initial stake, said to range from €3,000 to €10,000, into a shared fund that Adinolfi and an unspecified "team of experts" would use to place sports bets, with promised returns of up to 40 per cent a year. Profits, and eventually the initial investment, were supposedly due to be returned to participants, generally on a quarterly basis. Prosecutors allege that many participants never received either their returns or their original stakes back. Investigators have gathered around 10 formal complaints from alleged victims, some of whom reportedly invested more than €100,000 each. Based on a reconstruction of Adinolfi's bank accounts, magistrates estimate the scheme caused overall losses of roughly €5 million, only part of which was linked to actual betting activity; the rest is said to have gone on personal expenses, including luxury watches, gold bars and foreign currency, artwork, boats and travel, as well as transfers to third parties. Separately, he is accused of evading around €400,000 in taxes linked to the scheme, a sum now subject to a seizure order. In the pre-trial custody order, the investigating judge reportedly cited a risk of reoffending, noting that Adinolfi had recently launched a new fundraising initiative, called "Cristo Regna," using similar methods, and flagged concerns that he could pressure vulnerable alleged victims into retracting their complaints. The case was originally brought to light by an investigation from the television programme Le Iene, whose reporter Adinolfi clashed with in public in April, an episode that reportedly ended with Adinolfi pulling the journalist's hair. Adinolfi has previously denied the allegations, attributing delays in repayments to bureaucratic hold-ups and anti-money-laundering checks. He has a prior conviction for defamation dating from 2019. Over the years Adinolfi has built a reputation for provocative stunts and controversial positions; last month he attended Rome's Pride parade carrying a large Israeli flag, drawing a barrage of criticism. Photo Mario Adinolfi - Facebook