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

NEW YORK (AP) — The Vatican tribunal said Wednesday it convicted a cardinal of aggravated fraud and different charges because of his “objectively inexplicable behavior” successful paying a self-styled intelligence expert complete a half-million euros successful Vatican money 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 nan Vatican’s “trial of nan century.” The two-year proceedings of 10 group was borne retired of nan Holy See’s 350 cardinal euro ($380 million) finance successful a London spot but grew to see a big of different financial dealings.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a once-powerful cardinal who was nan No. 3, aliases “substitute,” successful nan Vatican’s secretariat of state, was nan astir salient of nan 9 group convicted. He faces 5 and a half years successful prison aft being convicted of embezzlement, fraud and different charges.

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

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

Becciu was convicted of embezzlement stemming from nan original Vatican finance of 200 cardinal euros into nan money that invested successful nan London property. The tribunal wished that canon rule prohibited utilizing religion assets successful specified a speculative investment.

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

The investigation showed, however, that Becciu fundamentally double-billed nan Vatican, pinch nan aforesaid magnitude of money being sent to a British information patient that really has expertise successful liberating hostages. The nun was subsequently freed, but location is nary denotation Marogna had thing to do pinch it, nan tribunal noted.

The tribunal, headed by Judge Giuseppe Pignatone, said Becciu ne'er provided a reasonable mentation for why he paid Marogna nan aforesaid magnitude of money, aliases why he ne'er asked her for immoderate updates connected her alleged efforts to liberate nan nun.

Even erstwhile told by Vatican gendarmes that Marogna had alternatively spent nan Vatican’s money connected luxury vacations and purchases astatine Prada, Becciu didn’t record a title pinch prosecutors aliases support his region from Marogna. Instead, they continued to pass via a family friend.

“An objectively inexplicable behavior, each nan much for personification successful a position of nan defendant, a cardinal prefect of nan Congregation for nan Causes of Saints and for 7 years nan substitute successful nan secretariat of state, who for a agelong play enjoyed nan afloat spot of nan pope,” nan tribunal wrote. “A behavior, moreover, that nan 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, nan tribunal said. She excessively was convicted and sentenced to 3 years and 9 months successful prison.

The bulk of nan written motivations were devoted to deciphering nan complicated transactions astatine nan bosom of nan London deal. The matter besides repeated nan tribunal’s erstwhile rejection of defense arguments that nan proceedings itself was fundamentally unfair.

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