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The Court of Appeal of Milan has made an important decision, rejecting the appeals of the defense and confirming house arrest for five suspects arrested on May 21. This precautionary measure was ordered by Judge Lidia Castellucci after preventive interrogations revealed disturbing details in the investigation into illegal betting. Among the names involved, Serie A footballers such as Nicolò Fagioli, Nicolò Zaniolo, Sandro Tonali and many others emerge.
The situation is alarming.
Investigation Details
At the request of public prosecutors Roberta Amadeo and Paolo Filippini, the judge issued this order for serious crimes, including the illegal exercise of gambling and betting activities, as well as money laundering. At the center of the investigation are the alleged managers of the "system": Tommaso De Giacomo and Patrik Frizzera. They allegedly set up a mechanism that exploited "word of mouth" to involve footballers, inducing them to bet, mainly on online poker but also on sporting events.
The role of Elysium Group
The investigations do not stop there. House arrest has also been ordered for the managers of Elysium Group, a jewelry store in Milan. Antonio Scinocca and Antonino Parise, legal representative and partner, together with Andrea Piccini, former partner, are accused of simulating the sale of luxury “watches”. The mechanism was clever: they issued invoices to justify the movements, while receiving bank transfers to cover the debts incurred by the footballers. An operation that brought in hundreds of thousands of euros.
Investigations in progress
The Guardia di Finanza does not stop. The latest investigations have brought to light details on the assets of De Giacomo, who owns six properties in Dubai. A detail that gives pause for thought. The footballers involved, despite being under scrutiny, could emerge unscathed from the affair. In fact, the Milanese prosecutors, who inherited the investigation from their colleagues in Turin, could allow them to close the matter simply by paying fines.
A complex system
The complexity of this clandestine betting system is shocking. The judicial police are analyzing the contents of the seized phones and devices, trying to reconstruct every detail. The question is: how could all this happen under the noses of the authorities? And will the footballers, once they emerge, really be left free to resume their careers without consequences?