Valter Lavitola: from fugitive to restaurateur, the thousand lives of the fixer under investigation for the car bomb attack on Ranucci
The profile of the Campanian businessman now under investigation for the attack on the journalist: corruption, fraud, extortion and the buying and selling of senators.
Valter Lavitola: from fugitive to restaurateur, the thousand lives of the fixer under investigation for the car bomb attack on Ranucci
Valter Lavitola has lived numerous lives: politician, journalist, businessman, international mediator, fugitive, prisoner, owner of a fish restaurant. The man, born in Naples, accumulated 23 million euros in public funding for publishing, directed publications with limited circulation, stood as a candidate in the 2004 European elections collecting 54,000 preference votes with Forza Italia, travelled on state aircraft and negotiated with parliamentarians on behalf of Silvio Berlusconi, whom he called "Dottore" and addressed formally.
His name is linked to the season of dossiers against Gianfranco Fini: it was he who uncovered a document in the Caribbean that connected the Monte Carlo apartment to the former Alleanza Nazionale leader's brother-in-law, Giancarlo Tulliani. He is also linked to the Bari investigation into the Cavaliere's escort service. Magistrates maintain that he had demanded 5 million euros not to disclose that operation, but he did not obtain them. This resulted in a conviction for attempted extortion. He pleaded guilty to fraud over public contributions. Between arrests and final sentences he served several years in prison.
In an interview released to Repubblica two years ago, Lavitola admitted to having been "a bandit, yes, that's what they said about me, and it was true". He reiterated that he had organised, together with Sergio De Gregorio, the defection of senators to bring down the Prodi government in 2008 and return power to Berlusconi. A final sentence confirmed his responsibility, although on appeal the charge of corruption fell due to the statute of limitations. When asked whether he was ashamed of his actions, he replied that he had acted out of "vanity and hunger for prominence. For a period I suffered from delusions of omnipotence".
Now the Campanian fixer is under investigation as the alleged mastermind of the car bomb that exploded under the car of journalist Sigfrido Ranucci. If the charge were to be confirmed, a question naturally arises: is there another mastermind behind Lavitola?
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca