Valter Lavitola, the Italian entrepreneur and former publishing director, has admitted to being the instigator of an attack against investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, according to statements made outside Rebibbia prison by his defense attorney, Sergio Cola.
Sergio Cola Steps in as Defense Counsel for Valter Lavitola
Sergio Cola, a criminal defense lawyer and former parliamentary deputy for Alleanza Nazionale, announced Lavitola’s admission to reporters stationed outside Rome’s Rebibbia prison. Cola, a native of San Giuseppe Vesuviano born in 1942, has represented Lavitola through previous high-profile legal battles dating back to the 2010s, including the Bari escort inquiry involving Gianpaolo Tarantini and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as well as proceedings concerning the alleged purchase of senators between 2006 and 2008.
Cola now faces the task of defending Lavitola against allegations of attempted mass slaughter carrying an aggravating mafia method. According to Mowmag.com, investigators point to a network connecting Lavitola to Gomes Clesio Tavares—described as a Cameroonian factotum and former bodyguard—who allegedly organized a commando unit and conducted reconnaissance outside Ranucci’s residence using a Renault Megane registered to a family member.
Investigative Focus Shifts to Clesio Tavares and Legal Strategy
Carabinieri documents cited by Mowmag.com indicate that Clesio Tavares cultivated a close relationship with Lavitola while both were at Secondigliano prison in 2015. Investigators assert that Tavares acted on Lavitola’s behalf to coordinate the operation against the journalist, utilizing legal precautions.
Evidence gathered by authorities includes intercepted communications where Tavares instructed Pellegrino D’Avino to utilize specific legal representation to preemptively manage potential arrests. According to Mowmag.com, Tavares directed D’Avino to send his father to Sergio Cola so that representation was established immediately if law enforcement intervened.
A Legal Career Spanning High-Profile Criminal Defense and Politics
Beyond his representation of Lavitola, Cola brings decades of courtroom experience representing figures within Campanian organized crime. During the 1980s, he defended members of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata, including involvement in major proceedings in 1985 in which Enzo Tortora was also a defendant. His subsequent criminal defense portfolio included Casalesi clan bosses Pasquale and Michele Zagaria—the latter of whom publicly dismissed Cola in court over financial constraints—as well as Antonio Iovine and Marco Di Lauro.
In parallel to his legal practice, Cola served three consecutive terms in the Italian Chamber of Deputies starting in 1994 under the Alleanza Nazionale banner, winning re-election in 1996 with 51% of the vote and in 2001 with 55.2%. During his legislative tenure, he concentrated on justice, public security, and the prison system, serving on the II Justice Committee, the Authorization Committee, and the Commission on Massacres. In 2003, Cola aligned with internal party critics opposing Gianfranco Fini’s leadership, years before Lavitola’s own political disclosures regarding Fini’s Montecarlo apartment contributed to the former leader’s political departure.
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