The Vatican tribunal weighing a monetary fraud case heard from an uncommon witness Thursday, when a secret recording of Pope Francis was performed to the court docket in regards to the Holy See's funds to free a nun held hostage by al Qaeda-linked militants.
The published of the pope's personal voice within the courtroom marked a surreal new chapter in a trial that has already seen loads of twists as Vatican judges attempt to decide who, if anybody, is criminally chargeable for shedding tens of thousands and thousands of euros in Holy See property.
Vatican prosecutors launched the recording into proof Thursday, saying it was a part of a trove of fabric not too long ago obtained from Italian monetary police who're investigating a Sardinian charity linked to Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a onetime shut Francis collaborator who is likely one of the 10 defendants within the Vatican trial.
Vatican prosecutors revealed that the Sardinian proof has additionally been added to a brand new Vatican investigation during which Becciu is beneath investigation for alleged felony conspiracy.
In accordance with Prosecutor Angelo Diddi, Becciu and a household affiliate secretly recorded Francis on July 24, 2021 -- 10 days after Francis left hospital following colon surgical procedure and three days earlier than the Vatican trial opened, when Becciu spoke to him by telephone from his Vatican condominium.
Whereas a lot of the defendants are dealing with costs associated to the Vatican's 350-million-euro funding in a London property, Becciu is on trial for alleged abuse of workplace and embezzlement in relation to his dealings with the Sardinian charity and with a self-styled safety analyst who can also be on trial, Cecilia Marogna.
Within the recording, Becciu asks Francis to basically affirm that the pope had licensed the funds to a British agency that Marogna had recognized to barter the liberty of a Colombian nun who was kidnapped in 2017 in Mali.
"Did you or not give me the authorization to begin the operations to free the nun?" Becciu asks within the name, in accordance with the transcript revealed by Italian media.
"For the ransom we had mounted 500,000, we stated no extra as a result of it appeared immoral to offer more cash... that might go into the pockets of the terrorists... I believe I had knowledgeable you about all this... do you keep in mind?"
In accordance with the transcript, the pope stated he "vaguely" remembered however requested Becciu to place his request in writing.
The decision was recorded in Becciu's condominium by one in all his relations, on a speakerphone, the court docket heard.
Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez was kidnapped in Mali in February 2017 by al-Qaida within the Islamic Maghreb, which had bankrolled its insurgency by kidnapping Westerners. Throughout her captivity, the group periodically confirmed Narvaez on video asking for the Vatican's assist.
Becciu had informed the court docket on Might 5 that he had raised her plight with Francis and that the pontiff had agreed to spend as much as 1 million euros to rent the British agency, Inkerman Group, to seek out the nun and safe her freedom. She was ultimately launched final 12 months and met with the pope.
Whereas the recording solid a questionable mild on Becciu for having secretly recorded the pope, it substantiated claims by Becciu and different defendants that Francis was certainly accustomed to, and in some circumstances permitted, a number of the expenditures which are at difficulty within the trial. There isn't any provision within the Vatican legislation for the pope to be interrogated throughout a felony trial, however protection attorneys have stated they need to ask him what he is aware of in regards to the numerous monetary choices, and stated the audio recording bolstered their argument that the pope's testimony is important to the trial.
Prosecutors have accused Italian brokers and Vatican officers of a bunch of economic crimes, together with fraud, embezzlement, corruption and abuse of workplace. Within the London case, they accuse the defendants of defrauding the Holy See and of then extorting 15 million euros from the Vatican to amass management of the property. The ten defendants all deny wrongdoing.
After phrase emerged of the brand new felony conspiracy investigation, Becciu's attorneys late Thursday stated they knew of no such investigation towards the cardinal however that regardless "he strongly asserts his innocence" and was able to make clear his place.
For the primary time, the Vatican court docket heard this week that the Holy See misplaced greater than 100 million euros on the transaction of the property alone, after it bought the property this 12 months for some 186 million kilos after having spent 275 million kilos to purchase it.
The Vatican official most carefully related to the deal, Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, took the stand for the primary time Thursday in a number of the most eagerly anticipated testimony, and instantly blamed his deputy for the fiasco. Perlasca had initially been a key suspect within the investigation, however in August 2020 modified his story and is now thought of an injured social gathering within the case.
AFP contributed to this report.