Senior cardinal, 9 others, face Vatican fraud trial

An influentialCardinaland nineotherswill be tried over alleged financial wrongdoing linked to the purchase of a plush London property, theHoly Seeannounced on Saturday.

In a first within theVaticanlegal system, ItalianCardinalAngelo Becciu, who was a leading figure in Rome and a close ally of Pope Francis, will appear before a tribunal from July 27.

The 73-year-old was dismissed from a powerfulVaticanjob last September after Francis told him he had been accused of syphoning offVaticancharity funds to help his siblings.

Becciu will be prosecuted over embezzlement, abuse of power and witness tampering in the case, linked to a scandal concerning a loss-makingVaticaninvestment in central London that happened under his watch. He has always professed his innocence.

Before his dismissal, he led theVatican's department on sainthood. From 2011 to 2018 he was the Substitute for General Affairs, a role akin to the chief of staff in theVatican's central bureaucracy.

Among the other defendants in theVaticantrialare Rene Bruelhart, the Swiss former head of the Financial Information Authority (FIA), theVatican's financial watchdog.

He will alsofaceabuse of power charges, as will Enrico Crasso, an investment fund manager who controlled millions of euros ofVaticanmoney, including private donations to the Church.

Among theothersfacingVaticanjustice are former FIA director Tommaso Di Ruzza and Italian consultant Cecilia Marogna, known as "theCardinal's Lady" for her links with Becciu.

The young woman allegedly received 500,000 euros from theVaticaninto her Slovenian bank.

Becciu protests innocence

The opaque investment at the heart of the scandal is a building in London's upmarket Chelsea district, which was transformed into 50 luxury apartments.

In a statement, Becciu said he was the "victim of a plot" and protested his "absolute innocence".

He said he had been pilloried by the media and looked forward to the chance to explain.

A statement posted on theVaticanwebsite said investigations had been carried out in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Jersey, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Switzerland.

That work had "brought to light a vast network of relationships with operators in the financial markets that have generated substantial losses for theVaticanfinances, having also drawn on the resources intended for the personal charitable works of the Holy Father".

Four companies had also been charged in the case, it added.

According to media reports, theVaticanlost several hundred million of euros on the London property and other bad investments.

The pope, who was appointed in 2013 with a mission to sort out theVaticanfinances, admitted in November 2019 that theVaticanwas caught in a corruption "scandal".

His attempts at reform have faced opposition and in 2017 Francis said trying to change theVaticangovernment was like "cleaning the Egyptian sphinx with a toothbrush".