Vatican: Cardinal sentenced to five and a half years in prison for embezzlement
Becciu, who was once considered a possible candidate for the papacy himself, was removed from office in September 2020 due to the financial scandal and had to give up his cardinal privileges. In addition to the embezzlement of funds in the case of a cleric kidnapped in Mali, the main issue was the Vatican's purchase of a luxury property in London worth 350 million euros.
Becciu always denied all allegations. In November 2022, during the trial, it became public that Becciu secretly recorded a telephone conversation with Francis, presumably to exonerate himself.
In addition to Becciu, nine other defendants had to stand trial. The accusations range from embezzlement and abuse of office to corruption. Public prosecutor Alessandro Diddi had demanded seven years and three months in prison for Becciu and between almost four and 13 years for the other defendants. In addition to his prison sentence, Becciu was fined 8,000 euros.
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- Due to his involvement in the embezzlement of funds related to the kidnapped cleric in Mali, as well as other financial misdeeds, Cardinal Becciu was found liable and sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
- Despite his former position as a potential papal candidate, Pope Francis' right-hand man, Cardinal Becciu, was condemned for his actions and stripped of his privileges in September 2020.
- The controversial case against Cardinal Becciu included allegations of embezzlement, abuse of office, and corruption, with other defendants facing similar charges.
- The trial, which took place in November 2022, revealed that Becciu secretly recorded a conversation with Pope Francis in an attempt to exonerate himself from the embezzlement charges.
- In addition to his lengthy prison sentence, Cardinal Becciu was ordered to pay a fine of 8,000 euros as part of his punishment for his involvement in the embezzlement scandal.
- The Vatican's handling of financial matters, as exemplified by the Becciu case, continues to raise questions and concerns within the international community.
Source: www.stern.de
