2 years ago
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By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A tribunal astatine a Vatican corruption proceedings connected Thursday heard a secretly recorded telephone telephone betwixt the main defendant, embattled Cardinal Angelo Becciu, and Pope Francis.
The signaling was made without the pope's cognition by idiosyncratic successful a country with Becciu successful July 2021, soon earlier the proceedings began and portion the pope was inactive recovering from large intestinal surgery, the tribunal was told.
Reporters were asked to permission the country portion the portion was played but lawyers who heard it said Becciu asked the pope to corroborate that the pontiff had authorised a outgo to assistance merchandise a nun who had been kidnapped successful Africa.
The lawyers said that connected the telephone pope seemed perplexed and confused by wherefore Becciu was calling and that the pontiff repeatedly asked the cardinal to nonstop him a written enactment astir what helium wanted.
In 2018, Becciu, past the 3rd astir almighty idiosyncratic successful the Vatican, hired co-defendant Cecilia Marogna, a self-styled information analyst, to escaped a Columbian nun who was kidnapped successful Mali by an al Qaeda-linked group.
Marogna, 44, received 575,000 euros ($598,630) from the Secretariat of State, the Vatican's astir important department, successful 2018 to 2019 erstwhile Becciu was moving there. The wealth was sent to a institution she had acceptable up successful Slovenia and she received immoderate successful cash, the tribunal has been told.
The constabulary discovered Marogna had spent overmuch of the wealth for idiosyncratic use, including luxury marque covering and visits to wellness spas.
She is charged with embezzlement and Becciu is changed with embezzlement, corruption, and maltreatment of office. They, similar the different 8 defendants, person denied each wrongdoing.
The main authoritative astatine the trial, Alessandro Diddi, told reporters connected Thursday that helium had begun a caller tangent of his probe successful which helium suspects Becciu of transgression conspiracy. He said helium deposited the details with the court.
Becciu's lawyers said successful a connection they were not alert of immoderate caller accusations. The connection did not remark connected the secretly recorded telephone call.
A twelvemonth earlier the proceedings started, Francis fired Becciu connected suspicion of nepotism. Becciu denies doing thing to assistance his household financially.
On Thursday Becciu faced his main accuser, his erstwhile apical adjutant Monsignor Alberto Perlasca. He told the tribunal however helium was ordered to marque payments helium considered unusual.
He said helium sent 100,000 euros to a foundation successful Sardinia, not knowing astatine the clip that it was linked to Becciu's family.
Becciu has said the foundation helped make jobs successful a mediocre area.
The proceedings revolves astir the acquisition of a gathering successful London by the Secretariat of State. The 10 defendants see erstwhile Vatican employees and Italian mediate men who the prosecution says extorted the Vatican.
($1 = 0.9605 euro)
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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