AGI – Five years and 6 months imprisonment, eternal ban from holding public office and 8,000 fine. This is the verdict imposed by the Vatican Tribunal against Cardinal Angelo Becciu at the end of the trial on the management of the funds of the Secretariat of State, which involves the sale of the palace in London. Becciu was found guilty on three counts for embezzlement.
“We respect the verdict, but we will definitely appeal,” said Cardinal Becciu’s lawyer, Fabio Viglione, at the end of the reading of the verdict. Viglione reiterated Cardinal Becciu's innocence.
“It is deeply bitter to recognize, after 86 hearings, that Cardinal Becciu’s innocence was not confirmed by the verdict, even though all the allegations proved to be completely unfounded.” The evidence that came to light during the trial “The emergence of the allegations against the cardinal, the result of a proven conspiracy against him and his innocence allow us to view the appeal with unchanged confidence,” it said the two defenders Maria Concetta Marzo and Fabio Viglione.
“Although the verdict deeply saddens us, we have one firm certainty: Cardinal Becciu, faithful servant of the Pope and the Church, has always acted in the interests of the Secretariat of State and did not benefit himself or his family,” the lawyers said.
“We respect the verdict, we will read out the reasons, but we remain sure that sooner or later the absurdity of the accusations against the cardinal will be recognized and with it the truth: His Eminence Becciu is innocent.”
The longest process
The process over the management of the Secretariat of State's funds, which involves the sale of a luxury building in London, has ended in the Vatican after almost two and a half years. It ended like this the longest and most complex debate the Holy See has ever experienced.
Eighty-six hearings, including this one today, over a period of 29 months (Date of Indictment: July 3, 2021, Commencement of Trial: July 27, 2021). Over 600 hours spent in the courtroom, hearing 69 witnesses, analyzing 124,563 pages on paper and on computer devices and 2,479,062 files submitted by the prosecution, 20,150 pages including appendices submitted by the defense, 48,731 by the civil parties.
Important figures that reflect the breadth and rigor of the debate that the Vatican Tribunal wanted to make the hallmark of the ruling from the outset, defined as “process of the century”, the process of the century. Fourteen defendants: 10 natural persons (Cardinal Angelo Becciu, Monsignor Mauro Carlino, Enrico Crasso, Raffaele Mincione, Fabrizio Tirabassi, Cecilia Marogna, Gianluigi Torzi, Nicola Squillace, Renè Bruelhart, Tommaso Di Ruzza) and 4 companies (Logsic Humitarne Dejavnosti based in Slovenia, Prestige Family Office Sa, Sogenel Capital Investment and HP Finance LLC).
Forty-nine indictments, 5 civil parties (the Vatican Secretariat of State, the IOR, the APSA, the ASIF and Monsignor Perlasca, former head of the Administrative Office of the Secretariat of State, who was defined as a key witness in the trial). The number of indictments initially stood at 37, then rose to 41 on January 25, 2022 and 49 on March 30 this year.
The types of crimes ranged from serious fraud to embezzlement, from serious abuse of office to embezzlement, from serious corruption to money and self-laundering, from extortion to witness fraud and false statements in public documents by a private person.
The trial was preceded by a long and detailed investigation initiated by the then proponent of justice, Gian Piero Milano, and the deputy Alessandro Diddi (now appointed proponent). The investigation developed through investigations by the Vatican gendarmerie and with the help of four rescripts from the Pope published in the course of the work, which expanded the prosecutors' scope of action; carried out on the basis of a large number of confiscated documents and electronic devices as well as the comparison of witness interviews. All of this was summarized in a 487-page indictment.
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The justice promoter Alessandro Diddi
A process that only really came into being after seven months and one day, on March 1, 2022, and initially gave sufficient leeway to the preliminary applications that governed all of the first eight hearings at the behest of the Vatican Court itself, which meant time in return, skirmishes, procedural questions, answers, exceptions to nullity were left. A process in which, precisely because of this “space and listening” granted to everyone, seems to reflect the words engraved in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose 75th anniversary is taking place and which are underlined by “Vatican News”. : “Every individual” has the right, in complete equality, to a fair and public hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal to determine his rights and obligations and the validity of any criminal allegations against him.
Pignatone, probationary periods that should not be taken for granted, thanks to those who made it possible for us to celebrate them
“This process ends today, a year and a half after the actual start of the hearing, taking into account two weekday lockdowns and the difficulties related to the Covid-19 pandemic: It doesn't seem like a marginal or obvious result to me“. Said the President of the Vatican Tribunal Giuseppe Pignatone to conclude his welcome to the 86th and final hearing of the trial on the management of the Secretariat of State's funds, which involves the sale of a luxury building in London. The court retired to the chambers. The reading of the verdict is scheduled for 3:45 p.m.
Before declaring the preliminary investigation closed, Pignatone expressed, also on behalf of his colleagues, “the thanks to those who have made possible the celebration of this process, which is certainly unusual for the Vatican City State in terms of quantitative and qualitative complexity”. Pignatone wanted to thank the Presidents of the Governors, first Cardinal Bertello and then Cardinal Vergez, “as well as the Director of the Museums and their collaborators who, in times of Covid emergency, promptly set up this hall that allowed us all to do so.” We are convinced of this “That we can carry out our work under the best possible conditions.”
© Vatican Media
Giuseppe Pignatone, President of the Vatican Tribunal
Thanks also went to the employees of the Chancellery, “who, as he said, supported us in all of these hearings, often until late in the evening,” and to the employees of the gendarmerie, “who ensured everything ran smoothly “. “Thank you to the journalists and information workers who – in the face of legitimate disagreements – promptly reported to public opinion what happened at the hearing,” he continued.
Pignatone then added: “I can’t help but remember it on this occasion.” Professor Gian Piero Milano, who, for health reasons, was only able to take part in the first hearing on July 27, 2021 of a trial that he had helped prepare from the beginning. I have had the honor and privilege over the past few years to know and be friends with Professor Milano and to appreciate his refined knowledge of canon law and Vatican law and, even before that, his legal and human wisdom.”
“Last but not least, I would like to thank all of you, legal activists, defenders of civil parties and defendants, for the commitment, study, passion and professionalism with which you – of course from different positions and perspectives – carried out your task by “It makes an exceptional contribution to the work that the university has carried out and still has to carry out.”
“As many of you have noted, the hearing has revealed some new elements of the assessment, whether they confirm or deny the original approach to the allegation,” Pignatone added. “If this is the case and the board is convinced of it,” the president further noted, “this will be confirmed.” Cross-examination between the parties is the best method to obtain procedural truth and I might add, trying to get closer to the truth without adjectives.
For this reason, “the Chamber has always tried, within the limits granted to the interpreter by the current legal framework, to adopt interpretations and procedures that ensure the effectiveness of cross-examination and, in particular, provide the parties with the greatest possible flexibility for the defense”. In this sense, “we were pleased to note that many defense lawyers have recognized the sensitivity and commitment of the Court on this crucial issue”.
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