Cardinal among 10 indicted by Vatican for financial crimes

[libertybele]

Cardinal among 10 indicted by Vatican for financial crimes

VATICAN CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - A prominent Italian cardinal was among 10 people sent to trial in the Vatican on Saturday charged with financial crimes including embezzlement, money laundering, fraud, extortion and abuse of office.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, formerly a senior official in the Vatican administration, as well as two top officials at the Vatican's Financial Intelligence Unit will go on trial on July 27 over a multi-million euro scandal involving the Vatican's purchase of a building in one of London's smartest districts.

The trial will inevitably bring a swirl of media interest to the tiny city-state surrounded by Rome, and appears to underscore Pope Francis' determination to cure the rot in Vatican finances, even if it involves messy public hearings.

Becciu, 73, whom the pope fired from his senior clerical post last year for alleged nepotism, and who has always maintained his innocence during a two-year investigation, becomes the most senior Vatican official to be charged with financial crimes..............

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vatican-judge-indicts-10-including-cardinal-alleged-financial-crimes-2021-07-03/

[mountaineer]

I was unaware the Vatican had its own criminal justice system.

[PeteS in CA]

Vatican City is a sovereign nation. I forget whether that was via a treaty with Garibaldi or Mussolini.

[sneakypete]

This had to have been so huge it involved outside banks and there was no hiding it,or we would never have heard of it.

What were they buying,little boys?

[mountaineer]

Vatican City is a sovereign nation.

I knew that. Just never gave any thought to the idea of a criminal justice system, for some reason.