The Rome prosecutor's office has accused Valter Lavitola, a former journalist and publisher with prior convictions, of being the mandator of the attack against Report host Sigfrido Ranucci. On October 16, an explosive device was placed under the journalist's car. Lavitola and Ranucci had a friendship relationship, acknowledged by both. The investigation has led to searches of Lavitola's home by carabinieri, who also heard his wife as a witness. Lavitola's collaborator, Gomes Celsio Tavares, suspected of acting as an intermediary with the group that planted the device, is currently in Cameroon. Lavitola has stated he will bring elements to the prosecutor to clarify the situation, while acknowledging circumstantial elements that could lead investigators in his direction, including his visits to Ranucci's neighborhood while searching for a house, and Tavares's connection to one of the four arrested suspects. In interviews with several outlets, Lavitola has rejected the accusation and reacted harshly to some of Ranucci's statements. In particular, Ranucci told Corriere della Sera that he did not believe he was a victim but had managed the situation, and that Lavitola may have carried out the attack without intent to harm him. Lavitola expressed disappointment that Ranucci mentioned personal details about his autistic son and, speaking to reporters at Il Domani, used offensive language, threatening to spit in Ranucci's face if he harbored any doubts about his innocence. The two also discussed a potential political candidacy for Ranucci. Lavitola said that within international socialist circles where he has contacts, he was shown a poll of potential left-wing leaders in Europe that included Ranucci. After initially dismissing the idea, Ranucci agreed to review the poll questions and corrected four of them, according to Lavitola. Rai has decided to suspend the summer reruns of Report pending clarity on the case. The channel's management stated the decision is intended to protect the credibility of public service broadcasting. Center-right parties, including Lega and Fratelli d'Italia, supported the suspension, while the Movimento 5 Stelle, through members of the Parliamentary Committee for Public Broadcasting Oversight, criticized the decision, calling it a media and political move with public funds and noting potential economic losses from reduced viewership. Report's editorial staff issued a statement of support for Ranucci and invited viewers to follow the program on RaiPlay. Ranucci denied internal divisions within the team. The case has also sparked political reactions on a separate front. Last October, the day after the attack, PD secretary Elly Schlein spoke at the Party of European Socialists congress in Amsterdam, expressing solidarity with Ranucci and stating that democracy and freedom of speech are at risk when the extreme right is in government. Those words had been criticized at the time by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Fratelli d'Italia's social media accounts revived the episode, calling for Schlein to apologize for casting blame on the government. The Democratic Party responded by urging La Russa to act as an institutional figure rather than a party leader.