Cardinal and nine others tried in Vatican over real estate scandal

Vatican Court called to appear 10 people Yes four companies in the midst of a real estate scandal involving an investment by Secretariat of State of the Holy See in properties located London, UK. One of the protagonists is the cardinal Angelo Becciu, the highest ranking clergyman to face charges of misappropriation of resources and abuse of power.

The 73-year-old cardinal, who denies having committed irregularities, was forced to resign last September, but still retains his title pending the final decision of the trial which will officially open on July 27, according to the Holy See in a statement.

Becciu was a close collaborator of Pope Francis and previously had a key employee at the Vatican Secretariat of State, who manages Church donations.

The aim of the trial will be to determine whether he, along with the other accused, They used their power and influence to promote the purchase of a multi-million dollar property in London using Church funds.

The purchase was made when the Cardinal was in charge of the General Secretariat of the Holy See, and will therefore be called into question by the nature of the controversial agreement by which the property was acquired, which has been the subject of a financial investigation since its signature and has generated an alleged property damage to the Vatican.

Specific, More than $ 214 million was paid for a building on Sloane Avenue that came from Church money through offshore funds and companies. These agreements were defended at the time by the accused cardinal.

According to Italian media The Espresso, Becciu allegedly embezzled funds from this agreement, as well as sums of money from “Alms and donations to finance the activities of his relatives.”

The Italian media have calculated that from 2013 to September 2020 – when he left his post at the Secretariat of the Holy See – the cardinal pronounced at least 600 thousand euros (about 712 thousand dollars) to a cooperative managed by one of his brothers and associated with the Caritas association of Ozieri, in Sardinia (Italy).

Faced with all these accusations, Cardinal Becciu declared a “victim»And reiterated his innocence by a declaration.

“I am the victim of a plot against myself, and I have waited a long time to hear the accusations against me so that I can quickly deny them and prove to the world my absolute innocence. During these long months, everything was invented about me, exposing me to a unique media pillory to which I did not lend myself, suffering in silence, also for the respect and protection of the Church, to which I have consecrated all my life, ”said the clerk.

And he adds: “Finally the moment of clarification arrives, the Court will be able to find the absolute lie charges against me and the dark plots this obviously supported and nourished them ”.

The other people involved in the case are: René Bruelhart, el monseñor Mauro Carlino, Enrico Crasso, Tommaso Di Ruzza, Cecilia Marogna, Raffaele Mincione, Nicola Squillace, Fabrizio Tirabassi and Gianluigi Torzi.

All are accused by prosecutors of keep millions of euros fees charged to the Vatican in connection with financial transactions that resulted in losses for the Holy See.

“The investigations, also carried out with letters rogatory in several other foreign countries (United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, Jersey, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Switzerland), brought to light a vast network of relationships with financial market operators which generated considerable losses for the Vatican. finances, having also had recourse to the resources allocated to the personal charity of the Holy Father “said the statement released by the Vatican.

They all denied their guilt, which must be proven in court.

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