The Vatican Court of Appeal has overturned the results of the high-profile "trial of the century," in which Cardinal Angelo Becciu was convicted of financial crimes. The court ruled that serious procedural violations occurred during the proceedings. This was reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
The case was sent back for a new trial, which is scheduled to begin on June 22. The court found that both Vatican prosecutors and Pope Francis' decisions affected the legality of the process.
In particular, one of the papal decrees, which expanded the powers of the investigation, was not made public, rendering it invalid. Also, prosecutors did not provide all case materials to the defense.
Victory for the defense
Becciu's lawyers stated that this decision confirms their position.
This shows that from the very first moment we were right to raise the issue of the right to defense
Other lawyers called the decision historic, as it was the first time a Vatican court had effectively questioned the validity of a papal decree.
High-profile case involving millions
At the center of the investigation were Vatican investments totaling approximately 350 million euros in real estate in London.
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In 2023, Becciu was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for embezzlement, and several other defendants were found guilty of fraud and abuse.
Now all sentences have been overturned, and the process will have to start practically from scratch.
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