ROME - Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) could jeopardise his fragile coalition government in the wake of scandals relating to the Roma Capitale probe that continue to unfold, political commentators said Friday.

 The chairman of the PD, Matteo Orfini, declared that the party will most likely vote in favour of granting a request to arrest Senator Antonio Azzollini. 

 Azzollini is a Senator for the New Centre Right (NCD) party, the NCD in being a junior partner in Renzi's coalition, and the chair of the upper house's budget committee. This week, the police issued the arrest warrant on suspicion of Azzollini's involvement in the fraudulent 500 million euro bankruptcy of a series of nursing homes. 

Chairman Orfini stated that "when faced with a request of this kind, it is necessary to examine the papers, but voting in favour of the arrest seems inevitable."

  Azzollini was caught in a wiretap, saying "from today I'm the one in charge here," when he allegedly took over the management of the nursing home chain. Investigators have claimed that he not only indiscriminately hired staff linked to him, but also lead a "reign of terror", intimidating the sisters.

  Azzollini has denied making the wiretap statements.

Meanwhile, the scandal has highlighted the progress of the Vatican Bank in regards to achieving full transparency. The Holy See bankers' replies to the investigation allowed a more technical examination of the financial flows through bank account data, where, according to sources, the Congregation of Divine Providence's assets had been hidden. 

In the meantime, it has been disclosed that a Socialist MP, Raffaele Di Gioia, is also under investigation in the probe.