Vatican threatens quake: Trial of money laundering, fraud and abuse of office - also Pope's confidante in court

A cardinal is said to have been up to mischief in the Vatican for years.

It's also about a kidnapped nun.

Now he is on trial with other defendants.

Rome / Vatican City - The allegations read like a mafia novel: embezzlement, money laundering, fraud, abuse of office: Troubled times threaten the Vatican. As early as July 3, 2021, the

Vatican News

portal reported that the

Vatican

Court is bringing charges against nine people. The

Economist

wrote a week later even allegations of extortion - and the case of an abducted nun.

One of the main defendants appears to be Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who, as Vice Secretary of State, held the second most important post in the Vatican bureaucracy.

He was considered a personal friend of Pope Francis and was even traded as his potential successor.

In September 2020, however, Becciu was dismissed by Francis.

Among the defendants is the Swiss René Brülhart, former President and Director of the Vatican Financial Supervisory Authority.

According to the Vatican Press Office, charges are also being brought against several companies.

Embezzlement, money laundering, fraud and abuse of office in the Vatican: kidnapped None should be freed

The indictment probably consists of three separate preliminary investigations, as

reported

by

Focus Online

,

among others

.

On the one hand, there is a transfer ordered by Cardinal Becciu in the amount of 100,000 euros to the account of a diocesan cooperative under the leadership of his biological brother.

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Cardinal Angelo Becciu will be in the dock from the end of July (archive photo)

© MASSIMILIANO MIGLIORATO / CPP / via www.imago-images.de

In the second procedure, a Beccius transfer of 575,000 euros to a company belonging to a former Vatican consultant is negotiated.

The money was possibly intended to pay for a secret operation to rescue a nun who was kidnapped in Colombia.

But the majority of the funds went to fashion purchases and spa visits, according to the indictment.

Misappropriation, money laundering, fraud and abuse of office in the Vatican: what did the Pope know?

The focus of the third procedure is apparently a real estate deal that made a loss for the Vatican, which took place in London in 2018 and 2019.

Cardinal Becciu is said to have convinced the Vatican State Secretariat, one of the most important authorities of the Roman Curia, to invest more than 350 million euros in the British capital.

According to

Vatican News

, it was probably not clear to the State Secretariat at the time that those involved in the deal were cashing in on their own pockets.

According to the indictment, there should also have been extortion, whereby 15 million euros flowed.

The third part of the proceedings is spicy because Gianluigi Torzi, one of the defendants, claims that the Pope knew of his involvement in the real estate business.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the right-hand man of Pope Francis, is said to have even approved the deal.

Embezzlement, money laundering, fraud and abuse of office in the Vatican: defendants claim their innocence

Cardinal Becciu denies all allegations.

"I am the victim of a hatched machination to my detriment," he said, according to dpa.

The defendant Brülhart is convinced that the allegations against him will completely fizzle out.

The process, which will start on July 27th, should now shed more light on the darkness.

He follows the reforms for more transparency in the Vatican finances.

Pope Francis cracked down on the scandal and withdrew the State Secretariat from managing capital and real estate values.

The goods administration in the Vatican Apsa is now taking care of that.

(

mh

)

List of rubric lists: © Ã MASSIMILIANO MIGLIORATO / CPP / via www.imago-images.de