Before the Rome investigating judge, Mario Adinolfi denied the charges of fraud and tax evasion for which he is under house arrest.

During the preliminary hearing, the suspect essentially confirmed that he was "a gambler" but that he was "neither a swindler of old ladies nor a crook."

The Rome prosecutor's office is charging the leader of the Popolo della Famiglia party with aggravated and repeated fraud, unauthorized collection of savings, financial misconduct, and failure to file a tax return in connection with "Scommessa collettiva," a fundraising network promoted via social media by private individuals who were offered returns from sports betting.

Before the judge, Adinolfi stated that the group of bettors consisted of "about ninety people" and that among them were also "important people".

The participants sent the money voluntarily, and "I collected it." Among them were university professors, freelancers, and notaries. During questioning, he claimed to have returned, in many cases, substantial sums of money: "Those who lose report it, and those who win don't report it," he added. The suspect denied being a tax evader. He reportedly reiterated that he led a "moderate life," without travel or special expenses. "I don't even know how to ski, Courmayeur."

According to his defense, who have requested the revocation of the precautionary measure, Adinolfi " has answered correctly and calmly to all the charges brought against him, providing specific clarifications at this stage on what he is accused of," stated lawyers Pablo De Luca and Riccardo Di Lorenzo.

"What Adinolfi organized was a legitimate activity, the result of a request for collective gambling, and Adinolfi returned a large portion of the money received. Faced with a dispute over €1.5 million in outgoings, €1.3 million was returned. Therefore, there is a symmetry between income and expenditure that was only negatively impacted," the defense concluded.