Vatican court sentences former senior official to 5 1/2 years in prison for financial crimes

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – A Vatican court on Saturday sentenced a former cardinal to 5 1/2 years in prison for financial crimes, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Angelo Becciu was involved in a controversial property deal to buy a luxury London property with church funds, apparently as an investment. He was also accused of embezzlement and abuse of office.

HIs lawyer Fabio Viglione said they will appeal the verdict.

Becciu was named a cardinal in 2018, and resigned unexpectedly in September 2020 over the controversial deal.

Becciu previously served for six years as the substitute for general affairs – the second-most senior official – in the Vatican’s powerful Secretariat of State.

In this position, he met with the pope daily and was one of his most trusted aides.

It was also during this period that the property deal scandal took place. The building was located on London’s lavish Sloane Avenue.

It was paid for with offshore funds, and the secretariat’s offices were raided last year. Vatican police seized documents and computers and five of the secretariat’s staff members.