Inquiry puts 'respectable' Neapolitans in handcuffs: Italy's disgraced former PM wanted for questioning over connections between the death of a foreign politician and corruption at home

ROME - Shaken to its foundations by some of the worst of Italy's scandals so far, Naples yesterday saw 13 apparently respectable citizens marched off to jail in handcuffs, writes Patricia Clough. Another seven evaded arrest.

Those rounded up included two members of the regional parliament, five city councillors, public officials and the heads of local firms. But what may have shocked Neapolitans most is that two were prominent members of opposition parties, the neo-fascists and former Communists, which have been loudly denouncing corruption and demanding a clean-up and fresh elections.

Amedeo Laboccetta, leader of the neo-fascists in the city council, had thrown a bucket of water at the deputy mayor during a riotous session last week in a symbolic attempt to 'cleanse' the administration, seven members of which, including the outgoing mayor, have been in jail. One-quarter of the city council is under investigation.

But Mr Laboccetta and Antonio Pastore, administrative secretary of the ex-Communist Party of the Democratic Left are accused of extorting large sums of money from a local constructor in exchange for 'softening' their opposition to alterations to Naples' San Paolo stadium for the 1990 World Cup matches. Four other councillors from the ruling parties allegedly got lesser sums for guaranteeing to vote for the project.

Yesterday's arrests were connected with kickbacks on contracts for public works. But the investigations are taking place against a much more sinister background, for it has emerged that much of the corruption in Naples is inextricably bound up with the Camorra, the local Mafia. Five of Naples' most prominent members of parliament are formally under investigation for collusion with the Camorra.

The lid has been taken off the Naples political and criminal world by Pasquale Galasso, the number two in the Camorra after Carmine Alfieri, who allegedly became boss of all bosses there thanks to his political connections. According to Galasso, the partnership dates back to the 1980 earthquake, when politicians and camorristi realised they could share the stream of public money arriving to finance the reconstruction. Galasso has also hinted that the Camorra carried out murders for the politicians.

The Camorra is also believed to have bought itself impunity by corrupting some of the judiciary. Seven local magistrates and judges are under investigation.

The personal secretary of a former prime minister, Arnaldo Forlani, was arrested yesterday, one day after Mr Forlani was told he was under investigation in the huge bribery scandal that has engulfed the Christian Democrat Party, Reuter reports. Gaetano Amendola is suspected of having collected some 1.2bn lire ( pounds 480,000) in bribe money.