The testimony had been awaited for more than seven months. Cardinal Angelo Becciu delivered his version of the facts, Thursday, May 5 before the Vatican Tribunal, facing accusations of embezzlement and financial mismanagement of which he is the subject. A defense he expressed in a long statement, read for two and a half hours before the judges, gathered in a room of the Vatican Museums used by the court of the smallest state in the world since the start of the trial, in July 2021.
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The former deputy of the Secretariat of State, who was in this capacity in charge of part of the investments of the Holy See between 2011 and 2018, defended himself from the two main charges: the embezzlement of 125,000 € in favor of his brothers, as well as any responsibility for the investment of 100 million euros in a real estate investment which later proved to be calamitous, causing the loss of at least 176 million euros for the Holy See.
« I can say, with a clear conscience, that during seven long years of service, I have spent myself without reserve for the Holy Father and for the Churchhammered the first cardinal in history to be tried by a Tribunal in the Vatican. Aware of my commitment and dedication, I feel satisfaction for the many results obtained for the good of the Church and deep sadness for the unfounded accusations against which I am called to defend myself. »
“I wonder how I could have acted differently”
During his lengthy defence, at the start of a court hearing that lasted almost six hours, the cardinal, deprived of his cardinal prerogatives by the pope in September 2020, notably claimed that he had « full legitimacy » to manage the funds of the Secretariat of State and operate any investment.
One way to respond to accusations that the Sardinian prelate committed a fault by not consulting the Apsa (Administration of the Heritage of the Apostolic See), manager of the real estate funds of the Holy See, before giving his authorization for an investment in a London building. In his speech, he considers that the Secretariat of State then enjoyed significant autonomy to manage its funds.
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More broadly, he affirms that the investment of 100 million euros in London, through a fund called “Athena”, had been validated by all the experts consulted. Including those who were later discovered to have pocketed comfortable commissions. “I still wonder today how I could have acted differently in light of the information given to me at the time,” continued the cardinal, arguing of his « absolute good faith ».
A former member of the Italian secret service
In reality, the former deputy threw the responsibility for decision-making onto Bishop Alberto Perlasca, then a collaborator of the Secretariat of State, but who has since delivered the testimony on which the majority of the accusations are based. « Because of the technical expertise and the confidence that I placed in Monsignor Perlasca and in the office (which he headed) as a whole, I never took, during my mandate, a decision in matters of financial investments that does not conform to what was offered to me », defended Cardinal Becciu. He delivered an unflattering description of his former subordinate: “You could say that the administrative office was almost his own little kingdom, of which he felt he was the boss. »
Describing his relationship with the latter, the cardinal first underlined that great trust was established between them, then affirmed that he himself had supported Bishop Perlasca a lot in 2019, after the latter’s ousting from the Secretariat. of state. An eviction following which Bishop Perlasca wrote to the cardinal by SMS wanting to commit suicide.
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But Angelo Becciu also mentions in his story a character he would have met in 2020, and who presented himself, at the time, as a friend of Bishop Perlasca and « former Italian secret service ». Following this contact, several appointments between this woman, Genoveffa Ciferri Putignani, and the cardinal will follow, during which she will threaten, according to Angelo Becciu, to forfeit him from the cardinalate. « Know that I know journalists in Italy and England who can destroy you or praise you depending on your commitment to Perlasca », This woman, whose name had never appeared before, would have told him.
The trial must still continue for several months, the court having given a timetable which extends until July. The next hearing will be on May 18.
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