Vatican City: A fraud and embezzlement trial over alleged mismanagement of the Holy See’s investments in Vatican City began Tuesday, with the once-powerful cardinal among 10 defendants saying he remains “obedient” to Pope Francis, who previously Their privileges to bring were taken away. Tribunal.
“He wanted me to be prosecuted, and I’m coming to trial. I’m quiet. I feel calm in my conscience, Cardinal Angelo Baciu, one of the two defendants who participated in the largely procedural, seven-hour session, later told reporters.
Baciu, a former longtime Vatican diplomat, was accused of pressuring a monsignor to rewrite information he had given to prosecutors about embezzlement, abusing his office, and his handling of a disastrous real estate deal involving properties in London. Is charged.
The 73-year-old bishop, who was promoted to cardinal by Francis in 2018 but was later sacked by the pope after being in charge of the church’s saint-making office, denied any wrongdoing Is.
During the first day of the trial, defense lawyers lamented that they did not have time to digest the nearly 28,000-page documents recently released by Vatican prosecutors. He noted that most of the evidence for the July 3 indictments was not provided to him, apparently due to logistical problems.
Chief Justice Giuseppe pignatone Agreed, set the next hearing for October 5. Pignatone, a former chief prosecutor in Rome, had previously spent years investigating mafia In Sicily and criminal economic activity.
The Vatican, an independent city state, has a small courtroom, as well as its own prison. But to include all defendants, lawyers and journalists, the largest trial in the modern history of the Holy See, the case was moved to a hall that Vatican Museum.
The temporary courtroom is decorated with only one crucifix, and, just behind where the three-member prosecutor sits, is a photograph of Francis in a white dress.
Not waiting for the verdict, Francis has already removed Bekiu’s rights as cardinal. Baqiu therefore showed up at court wearing a plain black clergy suit and a large, pectoral cross instead of the iconic red garb reserved for the so-called “princes of the Church”.
Asked by a reporter why he turned up for his day in court, while most of his fellow defendants did not, Baqiu said: “It’s important to be here.”
Also in court was Monsignor Mauro Carlino, who has been charged with embezzlement and abuse of office. When the bishop was chief of staff at the Vatican’s state secretariat, he was Bexiu’s top aide. The two talked during the break.
If found guilty, all defendants face prison or fine or both. He has denied wrongdoing.
Less than three months ago, it would have been impossible for the cardinal to stand in court in Vatican City state, which has its own justice system and even a prison. But, as noted in Bexieu’s comments, Francis had changed a law so that Vatican-based cardinals and bishops could be prosecuted and judged by a criminal tribunal of the Holy See, as long as the pontiff signed it. Do not First, Vatican Cardinals Justice could only be done by his peers, the court of three fellow cardinals.
The defendants are alleged to have had a hand in actions that effectively cost the Holy See tens of millions of dollars in donations collected collectively from rank-and-file Catholics. Prosecutors argue that the huge losses were caused by poor investments, dealings with shady money managers, and alleged favors to friends and family.
At the center of a two-year investigation is the London real estate deal approved by the Secretariat of State. An initial 200 million euros (now about $240 million) was sunk in a fund run by an Italian businessman. Half the money went to a real estate venture in the swank Chelsea neighborhood, an investment that eventually cost 350 million euros. By 2018, the original investment was losing money, and the Vatican scrambled to find an exit strategy.
Among the defendants is Italian broker Gianluigi Torzzi, who was hired by another plaintiff money manager to help the Vatican gain full ownership of the London Palazzo, which handled the initial investment in 2013. The Vatican argues that it lost money on mindless investments.
The judge said Torzi alone had a “legitimate impediment” to participate in the trial. His lawyers noted that Torzzi cannot leave London, where he is based, as he awaits British judicial development following extradition requests from Italian authorities in another financial investigation.
Also absent was Cecilia Marogna, who was hired by Baciu as an external security adviser. Prosecutors allege he embezzled 575,000 euros in Vatican funds that Bekiu had authorized to be used as a ransom to free Catholic hostages abroad. Marogna has argued that the allegations made by him were reimbursement for his intelligence-related expenses and that the other money was his compensation.
Her lawyer told the court that she could not appear because an Italian intelligence agency was forcing her to secrecy and that Marogna did not want to violate that order.
Vatican law, as partly reflected by the Italian legal system, allows plaintiffs to attend trial in the hope of winning monetary compensation, pressing for justice, and being able to address the court.
“This trial has a strong moral sense,” said former Italian Minister of Justice Paola Severino, who represents the interests of the Holy See and the Vatican Bank in the lawsuit.
“He wanted me to be prosecuted, and I’m coming to trial. I’m quiet. I feel calm in my conscience, Cardinal Angelo Baciu, one of the two defendants who participated in the largely procedural, seven-hour session, later told reporters.
Baciu, a former longtime Vatican diplomat, was accused of pressuring a monsignor to rewrite information he had given to prosecutors about embezzlement, abusing his office, and his handling of a disastrous real estate deal involving properties in London. Is charged.
The 73-year-old bishop, who was promoted to cardinal by Francis in 2018 but was later sacked by the pope after being in charge of the church’s saint-making office, denied any wrongdoing Is.
During the first day of the trial, defense lawyers lamented that they did not have time to digest the nearly 28,000-page documents recently released by Vatican prosecutors. He noted that most of the evidence for the July 3 indictments was not provided to him, apparently due to logistical problems.
Chief Justice Giuseppe pignatone Agreed, set the next hearing for October 5. Pignatone, a former chief prosecutor in Rome, had previously spent years investigating mafia In Sicily and criminal economic activity.
The Vatican, an independent city state, has a small courtroom, as well as its own prison. But to include all defendants, lawyers and journalists, the largest trial in the modern history of the Holy See, the case was moved to a hall that Vatican Museum.
The temporary courtroom is decorated with only one crucifix, and, just behind where the three-member prosecutor sits, is a photograph of Francis in a white dress.
Not waiting for the verdict, Francis has already removed Bekiu’s rights as cardinal. Baqiu therefore showed up at court wearing a plain black clergy suit and a large, pectoral cross instead of the iconic red garb reserved for the so-called “princes of the Church”.
Asked by a reporter why he turned up for his day in court, while most of his fellow defendants did not, Baqiu said: “It’s important to be here.”
Also in court was Monsignor Mauro Carlino, who has been charged with embezzlement and abuse of office. When the bishop was chief of staff at the Vatican’s state secretariat, he was Bexiu’s top aide. The two talked during the break.
If found guilty, all defendants face prison or fine or both. He has denied wrongdoing.
Less than three months ago, it would have been impossible for the cardinal to stand in court in Vatican City state, which has its own justice system and even a prison. But, as noted in Bexieu’s comments, Francis had changed a law so that Vatican-based cardinals and bishops could be prosecuted and judged by a criminal tribunal of the Holy See, as long as the pontiff signed it. Do not First, Vatican Cardinals Justice could only be done by his peers, the court of three fellow cardinals.
The defendants are alleged to have had a hand in actions that effectively cost the Holy See tens of millions of dollars in donations collected collectively from rank-and-file Catholics. Prosecutors argue that the huge losses were caused by poor investments, dealings with shady money managers, and alleged favors to friends and family.
At the center of a two-year investigation is the London real estate deal approved by the Secretariat of State. An initial 200 million euros (now about $240 million) was sunk in a fund run by an Italian businessman. Half the money went to a real estate venture in the swank Chelsea neighborhood, an investment that eventually cost 350 million euros. By 2018, the original investment was losing money, and the Vatican scrambled to find an exit strategy.
Among the defendants is Italian broker Gianluigi Torzzi, who was hired by another plaintiff money manager to help the Vatican gain full ownership of the London Palazzo, which handled the initial investment in 2013. The Vatican argues that it lost money on mindless investments.
The judge said Torzi alone had a “legitimate impediment” to participate in the trial. His lawyers noted that Torzzi cannot leave London, where he is based, as he awaits British judicial development following extradition requests from Italian authorities in another financial investigation.
Also absent was Cecilia Marogna, who was hired by Baciu as an external security adviser. Prosecutors allege he embezzled 575,000 euros in Vatican funds that Bekiu had authorized to be used as a ransom to free Catholic hostages abroad. Marogna has argued that the allegations made by him were reimbursement for his intelligence-related expenses and that the other money was his compensation.
Her lawyer told the court that she could not appear because an Italian intelligence agency was forcing her to secrecy and that Marogna did not want to violate that order.
Vatican law, as partly reflected by the Italian legal system, allows plaintiffs to attend trial in the hope of winning monetary compensation, pressing for justice, and being able to address the court.
“This trial has a strong moral sense,” said former Italian Minister of Justice Paola Severino, who represents the interests of the Holy See and the Vatican Bank in the lawsuit.
.