Death of Luca Attanasio and Vittorio Iacovacci: the Rome Prosecutor's Office requests the dismissal of the second line

The Rome Prosecutor's Office has requested the dismissal of the second line of investigation launched in relation to the death in Congo of the Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio and the carabiniere Vittorio Iacovacci on 22 February 2021.

The proceedings, coordinated by the deputy prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco and against unknown persons, concerned the gang of six Congolese citizens who had confessed to the Kinshasa authorities of having carried out the ambush. The group was later sentenced in the first instance to life imprisonment. The group was interviewed by the ROS carabinieri during three missions, in the presence of a lawyer and respecting Italian regulations.

During the interrogations, the six retracted the confession, stating that it had been forced from them. In light of these statements, the Italian investigators were unable to continue their investigations.

The Rome prosecutors were also unable to carry out investigations into what emerged from some journalistic investigations into the case. Congo's lack of judicial cooperation did not allow the investigations to continue. Hence the request to dismiss the proceedings.

For the death of Attanasio and Iacovacci, the prosecutors of Piazzale Clodio had requested the indictment, in the main line, for the two employees of the World Food Program (WFP), a UN agency, accused of manslaughter. For the two - Rocco Leone and Mansour Luguru Rwagaza who had organized the diplomat's mission - the Rome preliminary hearing judge on 13 February 2024 declared there was no place to proceed, recognizing diplomatic immunity for the accused.