07/03/2021 11:17
Clarín.com
World
Updated 07/03/2021 11:21
The
Vatican's
criminal court
will take Cardinal
Angelo Becciu
to trial
, who was removed from office by Pope Francis for his dubious management of the secretariat of State's reserved funds in an obscure purchase of a luxury property in London that caused a gigantic scandal and a millionaire hole in the coffers of the Vatican.
In this case of
embezzlement,
another 9 people and four companies will also be prosecuted on charges of extortion, abuse of authority and fraud for their links with an investment of the Secretary of State in a real estate business in the British capital worth 350 million of euros.
"The president of the Vatican Court ordered the summons to the trial of the accused in the framework of the matter related to the financial investments of the Secretary of State in London. The trial will begin at the hearing on July 27," the Holy See confirmed in a press release.
The Vatican emphasizes that this judicial initiative is "directly related to the indications and reforms of His Holiness Pope Francis, in the work of transparency and cleaning up of Vatican finances."
Becciu was removed in September from his post as prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and
stripped of his rights related to the Cardinal
for his alleged involvement in this case.
In addition, the broker Gianluigi Torzi will also be prosecuted, who the Vatican accuses of a deception in the sale of the London property that created a hole of about 400 million euros in the Holy See.
Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, accused of corruption in the framework of a large property fraud in London.
Photo: REUTERS
The prosecution alleges that Torzi at the last minute
inserted a clause into the contract that gave him full voting rights
in the transaction.
But the Vatican hierarchy signed the contract, approved by both number two, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and his deputy.
Neither is charged.
Torzi rejected the charges and stated that they were due to a misunderstanding.
He's in London while an Italian extradition request is being processed.
Cecilia Marogna will also be prosecuted, who, according to the investigations leaked in the Italian press, received up to 500,000 euros from the funds of the Secretary of State managed by Becciu between 2011 and 2018, when she was the substitute in charge of that body that performs cabinet functions. of the prime minister.
Of that money, about 200,000 euros were used to
buy luxury items
in brands such as Prada, Tod's or Chanel.
As she herself defended in the Italian press, these objects were not for personal enjoyment, but were used as gifts on diplomatic trips and other representation expenses.
The provision of the Gendarmeria Vaticana published by L'Espresso, which communicated the precautionary suspension of the service "to five Vatican officials involved in apparently irregular millionaire financial operations.
They are joined by an Italian intelligence expert accused of embezzlement.
Prosecutors accuse the suspects of taking millions of euros from the Vatican in fees and losses related to other financial deals.
All of the suspects deny the charges.
An unprecedented trial
This is
the first time that the Vatican justice has placed a member of the College of Cardinals in the dock
.
In fact, the Pope repealed in April the law that prevented the cardinals of the Roman Curia from being tried by an ordinary court by decreeing that they can also appear as defendants or as witnesses in a process in a court of first instance of the Vatican, which is also composed of lay judges.
Until now they could only be tried or investigated by the other cardinals who make up the special Supreme Court of the Vatican, the only legal entity competent to open an investigation against the members of the Roman Curia, or by the Pope himself.
The controversial Cardinal Angelo Becciu
Becciu was head of the Vatican office in charge of canonizing saints until Francis dismissed him last year due to another issue: the donation of 100,000 euros from the Secretary of State to a charity run by his brother.
The Vatican statement said that "elements emerged" against Becciu in connection with the London business. His name appeared separately from the others in
the indictment
because
the indictment of a cardinal requires a different procedure
.
Becciu denied any wrongdoing in investing in London.
In the other case, on the other hand, he confessed that he made the donation, but that the beneficiary was not his brother but the charity.
Look also
The Angelo Becciu case: the Pope leaves the handling of billions of euros in the hands of a single "ministry"
The Angelo Becciu case: the plot behind the biggest corruption and power scandal that hits the Bergoglio pontificate
