{"id":19436,"date":"2021-07-27T06:39:07","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T10:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=19436"},"modified":"2021-07-27T06:39:59","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T10:39:59","slug":"vaticans-cardinal-becciu-on-trial-in-412m-fraud-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/07\/27\/vaticans-cardinal-becciu-on-trial-in-412m-fraud-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Vatican&#8217;s Cardinal Becciu on trial in $412m fraud case"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\"><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">A Roman Catholic cardinal who was once a close ally of Pope Francis is going on trial in the Vatican, accused of misusing Church funds in a ruinous London property venture.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 73, is the most senior cleric in modern times to face trial for alleged financial crimes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">He is charged with spending \u20ac350m (\u00a3299m; $412m) of church money on a botched deal to buy a property in Chelsea that incurred huge losses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">He denies wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Nine other defendants are also accused of charges including extortion, embezzlement and abuse of office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Cardinal Becciu was sacked by the Pope in September, as reports of financial misdeeds emerged.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">A two-year investigation exposed how the Vatican lost millions of euros, including donations from worshippers, after buying a prestigious former Harrods warehouse in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, in 2014. The cardinal was formerly in charge of donations at the secretariat which handles Vatican funds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The charges against him include allegedly channelling money to businesses run by his brothers in their native Sardinia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The trial is expected to last for months. The two hearings this week &#8211; on technical matters &#8211; are likely to be adjourned until October. The nine others accused include:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"unordered-list-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pzprxn-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi0\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li>Swiss lawyer\u00a0<b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Ren\u00e9 Br\u00fclhart<\/b>, who previously headed the Vatican&#8217;s financial regulation body, the former Financial Information Authority, and his ex-deputy\u00a0<b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Tomasso di Ruzza<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Monsignor Mauro Carlino,\u00a0<\/b>who was Cardinal Becciu&#8217;s private secretary<\/li>\n<li><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Enrico Crasso,<\/b>\u00a0a former Vatican investment manager<\/li>\n<li><b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Cecilia Marogna,<\/b>\u00a0accused of buying luxury goods with funds authorised by the cardinal for Vatican intelligence work, including efforts to free clergy held hostage in various countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The defendants deny wrongdoing. If found guilty, they could face jail terms or fines, or both.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">Prosecutors allege that a London-based broker,\u00a0<b class=\"ssrcss-hmf8ql-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Gianluigi Torzi<\/b>, defrauded the Vatican while using its money to buy shares in the Chelsea building, which was to be converted into luxury apartments. Mr Torzi says the allegations are based on a misunderstanding. Italy is trying to get him extradited from the UK.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">The Vatican&#8217;s new finance chief, Juan Antonio Guerrero, has said the Vatican is now making unprecedented efforts to be transparent about its financial affairs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">On 24 July the Vatican for the first time published details of its investment portfolio: 4,051 properties in Italy and some 1,120 properties in London, Paris, Geneva and Lausanne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-18snukc-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00\">&#8220;We come from a culture of secrecy, but we have learned that in economic matters transparency protects us more than secrecy,&#8221; Fr Guerrero said.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-57981508\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">A Roman Catholic cardinal who was once a close ally of Pope Francis is going on trial in the Vatican, accused of misusing Church funds in a ruinous London property venture. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 73, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/07\/27\/vaticans-cardinal-becciu-on-trial-in-412m-fraud-case\/\" title=\"Vatican&#8217;s Cardinal Becciu on trial in $412m fraud case\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[109,2,6],"tags":[7929,1667,2662,952,305,2703,5092],"class_list":{"0":"post-19436","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headline","8":"category-news","9":"category-world","10":"tag-cardinal-angelo-becciu","11":"tag-chelsea","12":"tag-embezzlement","13":"tag-extortion","14":"tag-fraud","15":"tag-pope-francis","16":"tag-roman-catholic-church","17":"pmpro-has-access"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19436"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19439,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19436\/revisions\/19439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}