Vatican tribunal explains conviction of cardinal and others in 'trial of the century'

The Vatican tribunal said Wednesday it convicted a cardinal of aggravated fraud and different charges due to the fact that of his “objectively inexplicable behavior” successful paying a self-styled quality expert implicit a half-million euros successful Vatican wealth that she past spent connected luxury items and vacations.

The city-state’s tribunal issued 816 pages of written motivations from its Dec. 16 verdicts successful the Vatican’s “trial of the century.” The two-year proceedings of 10 radical was borne retired of the Holy See’s $380 cardinal concern successful a London spot but grew to see a big of different fiscal dealings.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a once-powerful cardinal who was the No. 3, oregon “substitute,” successful the Vatican’s secretariat of state, was the astir salient of the 9 radical convicted. He faces 5 and a fractional years successful situation aft being convicted of embezzlement, fraud and different charges.

He and the 8 different defendants person announced appeals, arsenic has the Vatican prosecutor. With the tribunal’s written explanations present filed — astir a twelvemonth aft the convictions were handed down — some sides tin elaborate the ground of their appeals.

The proceedings focused connected the Vatican secretariat of state’s information successful a money to make a erstwhile Harrod’s warehouse into luxury apartments. Prosecutors alleged Vatican monsignors and brokers fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros successful fees and commissions and past extorted the Holy See for 15 cardinal euros to cede power of the building.

Becciu was convicted of embezzlement stemming from the archetypal Vatican concern of 200 cardinal euros into the money that invested successful the London property. The tribunal determined that canon instrumentality prohibited utilizing religion assets successful specified a speculative investment.

Becciu was besides convicted of aggravated fraud for his relation successful paying a self-proclaimed quality adept from his autochthonal Sardinia, Cecilia Marogna, 575,000 euros successful Holy See money. He had said the payments were authorized by Pope Francis arsenic ransom to escaped a Colombian nun held hostage by al-Qaida-linked militants successful Mali.

The probe showed, however, that Becciu fundamentally double-billed the Vatican, with the aforesaid magnitude of wealth being sent to a British information steadfast that really has expertise successful liberating hostages. The nun was subsequently freed, but determination is nary denotation Marogna had thing to bash with it, the tribunal noted.

The tribunal, headed by Judge Giuseppe Pignatone, said Becciu ne'er provided a tenable mentation for wherefore helium paid Marogna the aforesaid magnitude of money, oregon wherefore helium ne'er asked her for immoderate updates connected her alleged efforts to liberate the nun.

Even erstwhile told by Vatican gendarmes that Marogna had alternatively spent the Vatican’s wealth connected luxury vacations and purchases astatine Prada, Becciu didn’t record a ailment with prosecutors oregon support his region from Marogna. Instead, they continued to pass via a household friend.

“An objectively inexplicable behavior, each the much for idiosyncratic successful a presumption of the defendant, a cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and for 7 years the substitute successful the secretariat of state, who for a agelong play enjoyed the afloat spot of the pope,” the tribunal wrote. “A behavior, moreover, that the suspect has ne'er explained successful immoderate way.”

Marogna, for her part, was tried successful absentia and provided contradictory and inconclusive explanations successful her written defense, the tribunal said. She excessively was convicted and sentenced to 3 years and 9 months successful prison.

The bulk of the written motivations were devoted to deciphering the analyzable transactions astatine the bosom of the London deal. The substance besides repeated the tribunal’s erstwhile rejection of defence arguments that the proceedings itself was fundamentally unfair.