Rai suspends Sigfrido Ranucci for 10 days. His response: ‘We will appeal’

Rai – according to reports – has imposed a ten-day suspension on Sigfrido Ranucci. The decision by Viale Mazzini is reportedly based on four disciplinary charges: around fifty visits by Laura Cianfoni, a former CISL trade unionist, to the company’s headquarters; the content of a conversation with the M5S MP Dario Carotenuto; company emails forwarded to Valter Lavitola; the denigration of colleagues, in particular Giulia Presutti and Daniele Piervincenzi, who were initially tipped to succeed the journalist as head of Report.

“The decision will be challenged”, announces lawyer Roberto De Vita, coordinator of Ranucci’s legal team. “Just as the Rome Labour Court is ruling on the application for interim relief against the decision to remove him from *Report*, Rai has notified him of a new sanction: a ten-day suspension from work and pay,” the lawyer emphasises. “This decision comes just a few days after the submission of detailed defences, in which the substance and methodology of the allegations made by Rai were contested. Pending the judge’s decision, we will not comment on the timing of this development.”

In fact, the decision by the judge at the Rome Labour Court on the urgent appeal lodged by Ranucci’s lawyers against the removal from the presenting role on *Report*, decided by Rai at the end of August. At the conclusion of the hearing on 23 September, Judge Donatella Casari had set a deadline of 30 September for the parties to file their submissions, which both Rai and the journalist’s defence team have submitted; however, authorisation was required for further submissions to be filed by today. Once today’s deadline has passed, a ruling may be issued. A decision is expected this week in any case, in light of the deadline set by Rai for the former presenter of *Report* to choose between the three options offered by the broadcaster, which has been extended until 13 October.

Regarding the case involving the former presenter of the Rai 3 investigative programme, the director of Approfondimento Rai Paolo Corsini also commented today, saying: ‘Ranucci reinstated? Let’s hope it doesn’t happen; we don’t think it can happen – it’s a what-if scenario,” said the manager. “I’ve done what I had to do. We’re working calmly; we believe we’re in the right and that we’ve done everything correctly,” he added.

“However, on Saturday I’ll be in Bologna at the Duse Theatre to present my story, #DiarioDiUnTrapezista, at 8.45 pm. On the 17th in Albenga at the Teatro Ambra amongst friends, the Fieui di Caruggi; on 24 October in Reggio Calabria; and on 29 October in Calcinato. ‘You’ll always find me on your side,’ writes Ranucci on Facebook, attaching to the post a link to the *Il Fatto Quotidiano* website announcing the news of the suspension.”