A cardinal,Angelo Becciu, was on Saturday found guilty of embezzlement by a Vatican tribunal, resulting in a 5 ½-year prison sentence.
This marks the first prosecution of a cardinal in the Vatican criminal court.
Becciu faced numerous charges alongside nine co-defendants during the 2 ½ year trial, where some were absolved, while others received mixed outcomes.
Becciu’s lawyer plans to appeal the sentence, while the prosecutor deemed the verdict as validation of their case.
The trial scrutinized the Vatican secretariat of state’s 350 million euro investment in London real estate, alleging misappropriation of funds and extortion involving Vatican officials and brokers.
Specifically, Becciu was found guilty of embezzlement tied to the original 200 million euro Vatican investment in the London property, violating canon law against speculative investments with church assets.
Additionally, he was convicted for directing 125,000 euros of Vatican funds to his brother’s charity in Sardinia and using Vatican money to pay an analyst, who misused the funds.
