Cardinal Angelo Becciu was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for fraud in the purchase of property in an exclusive area of London.
On Saturday, December 16, the biggest trial in Vatican history ended. The court of the apostolic capital sentenced the cardinal to 5.5 years in prison, DW reports.
“Angelo Becciu, 75, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for conspiracy, fraud, abuse, providing false information, corruption, money laundering, and disclosure of secret documents,” the statement said.
One of the stages of the case involved violations and abuses during the purchase of a building in central London through donations at a deliberate price increase. Losses from this investment in the purchase of real estate, according to the auditors, amounted to £89 million (about 104 million euros).
At the time of the crime, Becciu was the third person in the Vatican – Undersecretary of State for General Affairs. The trial of him and his nine accomplices lasted more than two years.
Notably in recent years, Pope Francis has issued a series of decrees aimed at promoting transparency in the Vatican’s finances and preventing corruption. In 2019, he appointed Giuseppe Pinnatone, a former prosecutor in Rome known for fighting the mafia, to head the Vatican tribunal. In 2021, the pontiff issued a decree allowing cardinals to be tried in a Vatican court.
Let’s remember that at the end of September, Pope Francis appointed 21 cardinals.
It was previously reported that the Pope prayed with Ukrainian youth. The Pontiff received young men and women from Ukraine, who told him about the war and the situation in the state.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.