VATICAN SHOCKER: Cardinal Becciu Guilty in Historic Corruption Trial
— In a groundbreaking trial, the first of its kind since 1929’s Lateran Treaty, Cardinal Becciu and nine others have been declared guilty. The charges ranged from embezzlement to bribery. This verdict is the culmination of an extensive trial revolving around a luxury London property deal that led to over 100 million euros loss for the Vatican.
The guilt wasn’t confined to Cardinal Becciu alone. Nine other defendants were also convicted on diverse charges tied to fund mismanagement and embezzlement. Furthermore, the company Logsic Humitarne Dejavnosti was slapped with a fine of 40,000 euros and forbidden from contracting with public authorities for two years.
Becciu’s sentence fell just short of the seven years three months that prosecution sought after. The trial uncovered that he had funneled over half a million euros in Vatican funds to Cecilia Marogna’s company for a project deemed fraudulent by the court. Marogna too was found guilty and handed down prison time.
Alongside his prison term, Cardinal Becciu has been permanently barred from holding any public office and fined 8,000 euros. His offenses included conspiracy and witness tampering in an attempt to muzzle key prosecution witness Msgr Alberto Perlasca.
