Cardinal Becciu reiterates his innocence after his conviction and hopes to have the trust of Pope Francis

The Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciusentenced to five and a half years in prison for Vatican Court because of a financial scandal, today insisted on his innocence and hoped to have the trust of the Pope Francis.

“I want to shout to the world that I am innocent, that I did not commit none of the crimes of which I am accused, and I will try to prove my innocence“he said on the program ‘Five minutes‘, which will be broadcast tonight on Italian public television RAI, according to media reports.

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Becciu, 75, the first cardinal convicted by a criminal court in the Vatican CITY, He said he felt “dismayed” and, when asked if he expected the pope to believe in his innocence, according to the same sources, he replied: “I think so, I hope so.”

The cardinal was sentenced this Saturday to five and a half years in prison, a fine of 8,000 euros and perpetual disqualification from holding public office, but his lawyers have already announced that they will appeal.

The scandal broke in 2019, when the purchase of a building in London on the part of Vatican Secretariat of Statefor which he was a substitute Business in generalwhich led to a speculative operation that generated a million-dollar loss in the Holy See’s accounts.

The building, on London’s exclusive street Sloane Avenuecost Vatican some 350 million eurosbut was later sold for 186 million pounds (around 214 million euros).

However, this acquisition ended up being used to extort money from the Vatican and demonstrating the lack of transparency and irregularities in the Holy See’s accounts.

Furthermore, during the trial other crimes allegedly committed by Becciu such as the donations of 125 thousand euros that the cardinal deposited in the account of an association linked to the Caritas Sardinia Ozierithen presided over by one of his brothers.

Along with him, eight other people were convicted, mainly investors and intermediaries, while the only one acquitted was his former secretary Mauro Carlino.

The cardinal assured in the interview that investment in buildings has been part of “the tradition of the Holy See” since 1929, after the signing of the Lateran Pacts, by which the political independence of the Vatican City State was recognized.

“It wasn’t me who decided. As a substituteDo you know how many departments you had to control? Seventeen. “I didn’t have time to follow the economic and financial issues step by step.”explained to the presenter of the RAI program.

Among the remaining convicts in this trial, which lasted two and a half years, stands out Fabrizio Tirabassiemployee of Administrative Office of the Vatican Secretariat of Statesentenced to seven and a half years in prison.

On the other hand, the former president of Financial Supervisory and Information Authority (AS IF) of Vatican, René Brülhartand its former director, TOmmaso Di Ruzzathey must each pay 1,750 euros.

The sentences especially fell on financial brokers and real estate operation mediators, accused of profiting from and defrauding the Holy See.

The financial advisor Enrico Crasso He was sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of 10,000 euros; the broker Raffaele Mincione, for five and a half years; the lawyer Nicola Squillace, to one year and ten months in prison; and the investor Gianluigi Torzi, to six years and nine months, all with a ban on holding public office.

While the businesswoman Cecilia Marognacounselor of Becciu and presented in Vatican circles as an expert in diplomacy, she was also sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, with a ban ontemporary”to hold public office.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.