Cardinal Angelo Becciu (75): former adviser to Francis sentenced to five and a half years in prison

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A Vatican court has sentenced a once influential Italian cardinal to five and a half years in prison for financial crimes. Angelo Becciu (75), a former close adviser to Pope Francis (86), has been convicted of embezzlement, abuse of office and influencing witnesses, court president Giuseppe Pignatone explained on Saturday. Becciu’s lawyer Fabio Viglione announced an appeal.

Becciu, who was once considered a possible candidate for the papacy, was removed from office in September 2020 over the financial scandal and had to give up his cardinal privileges. Besides the embezzlement of funds in the case of a pastor kidnapped in Mali, the main issue was the Vatican’s purchase of a luxury property in London worth 350 million euros.

Ex-advisor to Pope Francis goes to prison

Becciu has always denied all allegations. In November 2022, during the trial, it was revealed that Becciu had secretly recorded a telephone conversation with Francis, probably to exonerate himself.

In addition to Becciu, nine other suspects had to appear in court. The accusations range from embezzlement to abuse of office and corruption. Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi had asked for seven years and three months in prison for Becciu and between almost four and thirteen years for the other defendants. In addition to his prison sentence, Becciu was fined 8,000 euros. (AFP)

Source: Blick