Valter Lavitola, a businessman with historic ties to Silvio Berlusconi, was arrested by Rome's Carabinieri on suspicion of ordering an October car-bomb that destroyed two of investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci's vehicles in Pomezia. Four suspects allegedly involved in placing the device were detained near Naples in June, while police continue to seek intermediary Tavares Gomes Clesio. Authorities say Lavitola may have hoped the attack would boost Ranucci's profile ahead of a potential political bid; Ranucci, under police protection since 2021, was unharmed.
Businessman With Berlusconi Ties Arrested As Alleged Mastermind In Car-Bomb Attack On Investigative Journalist
Italian entrepreneur Valter Lavitola, right, is accused of being the mastermind behind a bomb attack targeting an Italian journalist. / Credit: Salvatore Laporta/AP
Italian authorities have arrested Valter Lavitola, a businessman with past ties to former premier Silvio Berlusconi, on suspicion of ordering an October car-bomb attack that destroyed two vehicles belonging to prominent investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci.
What Happened
Rome's Carabinieri announced the detention on Monday, saying Lavitola is accused of instructing an intermediary, identified as Tavares Gomes Clesio, to recruit operatives who placed the explosive device outside Ranucci's home in Pomezia, about 12 miles south of Rome. Four suspects alleged to have carried out the attack were arrested near Naples in June; police say they are still searching for Gomes.
Damage and Context
The blast ripped through a residential street, destroying two cars registered to Ranucci and damaging the property's gate. Video recorded by Ranucci—who has been under police protection since 2021 because of his investigations into corruption and organized crime—showed the mangled remains of the vehicles.
Sigfrido Ranucci, Italian journalist for the investigative television news show
Alleged Motive and Background
According to the arrest warrant cited by local media, Lavitola and Gomes carried out an "initial exploratory inspection" outside Ranucci's home in September. Prosecutors allege Lavitola believed the bombing would raise Ranucci's public profile ahead of a possible political bid. Detectives say Ranucci is not accused of any wrongdoing and they believe he was unaware of the plot.
Ranucci told the ANSA news agency that he had received "an endless list of threats" following his investigations.
Lavitola, a former journalist and import-export businessman who also owns a restaurant in Rome, is a well-known figure in Italy and has had a long association with Silvio Berlusconi, who died in 2023. In 2015 a lower court found both Berlusconi and Lavitola guilty in a bribery case involving a senator and handed three-year sentences; prosecutors said Lavitola had passed cash to the lawmaker.
Broader Significance
The attack took place on the eighth anniversary of the car-bomb assassination of Maltese investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, an echo that underlines ongoing concerns about the safety of investigative journalists who probe corruption and organized crime in Europe.
Authorities continue to search for Tavares Gomes Clesio and are pursuing leads related to the recruitment and logistics of the attack. Ranucci was not injured in the explosion.
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