Vatican Court requests seven year sentence for Cardinal Angelo Becciu

 VATICAN CITY - - The prosecutor in a Vatican court has requested a prison sentence of seven years and three months for Cardinal Angelo Becciu, accused of embezzlement and tarnished by scandal, according to Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano.

 Seven years and three months of imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, a 10,329 euro fine and 14 million euro confiscation for Cardinal Angelo Becciu. This is the heavy sentence ordered by the promoter of justice, Alessandro Diddi, in the Vatican criminal trial on the misappropriation of funds of the Secretariat of State. 

 The cardinal is accused of embezzlement, abuse of office and subornation of witnesses. The case began in July 2021 and the sentence is expected just before Christmas 2023, as anticipated by the president of the Vatican Court, Giuseppe Pignatone. 

 This is the first time in history that a cardinal is being tried by civil magistrates. It is a decision strongly desired by Pope Francis, who, before Cardinal Becciu's indictment, changed the criminal law in force until then. In fact, only Bergoglio's authorisation was needed to send the cardinal to trial.

 The investigation started from parallel complaints by the Institute for Works of Religion and the Office of the Auditor General following the purchase of the Sloane Avenue building in London by the Secretariat of State. 

 It was a purchase that, as the promoter of justice stated in court, "resulted in damage to the Secretariat of State, and therefore to the Holy See, ranging from 139 to 189 million euros.”

 In the courtroom, Diddi explained that he had asked for the basic penalty for all the other nine defendants, a criterion that was not applied only to Cardinal Becciu due to his behaviour throughout the trial, which, in his opinion, cannot be compared to that of the others. 

 The Vatican prosecutor also emphasised that, despite the considerable damage to the Holy See's assets, none of the defendants had so far made an offer of compensation. 

 This also led to the requests made to the Vatican judges. In addition to Becciu, to whom Francis took away the rights of the cardinalate in September 2020, well before he was remanded for trial, the other cleric accused in the trial is Monsignor Mauro Carlino, who has served for a long period of time in the Secretariat of State.

 For him, the Vatican prosecutor has asked for five years and four months imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, an 8,000 euro fine and 15 million euro confiscation, Fatto adds.

 Then there are the requests for the other defendants: for Gianluigi Torzi - seven years and nine months imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, 9 thousand euro fine and 71 million confiscation; Nicola Squillace six years imprisonment, suspension from professional practice, 12,500 euro fine and 1 million 266 thousand euro confiscation.

 René Brülhart - three years and eight months imprisonment, temporary disqualification from public office, 10,329 euro fine and 15 million euro confiscation; Tommaso Di Ruzza four years and three months imprisonment, temporary disqualification from public office, 9. 600 euro fine and 15 million euro confiscation; Raffaele Mincione eleven years and five months imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, 15,450 euro fine and 172 million 360 thousand euro confiscation.

 Fabrizio Tirabassi - thirteen years and three months imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, 18. 750 euro fine and 99 million 898 thousand euro confiscation; Enrico Craso nine years and nine months imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office and 18 thousand euro fine; and Cecilia Marogna four years and eight months imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, 10,329 euro fine and 575 thousand euro confiscation. Confiscation was also requested for Marogna's companies in Crasso.

 The reaction of Becciu's lawyers, Maria Concetta Marzo and Fabio Viglione, was immediate. 

 They reiterated their client's total innocence: "The promoter of justice's requests do not take into account the results of the trial, which demonstrated the cardinal's absolute innocence for the operation concerning the London palace and for every other charge.”

 They added: "On the basis of theories that were resoundingly denied in the trial, the promoter of justice has continued to support a thesis that is far removed from the evidence, and we take note of this.”

 “As for the promoter's demands, not even one day would be a fair sentence. Only the acknowledgement of absolute innocence and full acquittal reflect what has been very clearly established,” they continued.

 They concluded: “The cardinal was always a faithful servant of the Church and suffered in silence, defending himself in the trial and actively participating in the hearings. By undergoing several days of exhausting interrogations, he has clarified every misunderstanding, demonstrating absolute good faith and fairness.”

 After the summer, the floor will pass first to the civil parties and then to the defence.

 es