Closing arguments in Vatican trial search to reveal issues within the metropolis state’s authorized system

VATICAN CITY — Lawyers for a once-powerful cardinal accused Vatican prosecutors of being “prisoner to their completely shattered theory” on Wednesday within the newest spherical of closing arguments of a trial that has raised elementary questions concerning the rule of legislation within the metropolis state.

Despite makes an attempt to demonize Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the two-year trial hasn’t proved any of the prosecutors’ allegations of embezzlement, abuse of workplace or witness tampering in opposition to him, mentioned attorneys Maria Concetta Marzo and Fabio Viglione.

“The cardinal is innocent,” they mentioned in a press release. “Thanks to the hearings, we were able to ascertain that none of the accusations had any foundation and that prosecutors were prisoner to their completely shattered theory.”

Becciu is on trial together with 9 others in a sprawling case that’s centered on the Vatican’s 350 million-euro funding in a London property but in addition contains two different tangents. Prosecutors have accused the ten of a bunch of economic crimes together with fraud, corruption, embezzlement and abuse of workplace.

Becciu has denied wrongdoing, as have the opposite defendants. A verdict is predicted in mid-December.

From the beginning, protection legal professionals have asserted that the Vatican City State’s authorized code has disadvantaged their purchasers of primary rights afforded defendants in different fashionable nations.

Even Pope Francis’ function within the case – he modified the legislation 4 occasions in favor of prosecutors through the investigation – has been cited by protection legal professionals as proof that defendants can’t get a good trial in an absolute monarchy the place the pope wields supreme legislative, govt and judicial energy.

While Francis strongly wished the prosecution to go forward as proof of his monetary reforms, the trial has as a substitute undermined the Holy See’s fame and uncovered it to potential authorized and monetary peril overseas.

Luigi Panella, defending the Vatican’s longtime cash supervisor Enrico Crasso, mentioned in his closing argument earlier this month that the Vatican’s fame internationally had been compromised by questions on whether or not suspects can get a good trial and the independence of the Vatican’s judicial system.

He famous that the Holy See had beforehand efficiently argued in international courts that the Vatican tribunal was finest positioned to evaluate authorized controversies because it had a “constant and uninterrupted practice of an absolute non-interference or self-restraint of popes.”

“The repeated interventions by the current pope in this trial risk creating a dangerous precedent that could crack the substantial trust that the Vatican City State jurisdiction has enjoyed until now internationally,” Panella mentioned.

Lawyers for different defendants have accused chief prosecutor Alessandro Diddi of mounting a “fantasy” of a conspiracy the place none existed, whereas sparing the important thing architect of the London deal: the Vatican monsignor who orchestrated it and signed the contracts with out correct authorization.

“He (Diddi) built a castle that is beautiful … but it’s a castle that is completely invented, a total fantasy,” mentioned legal professional Mario Zanchetti, representing dealer Gianluigi Torzi, who’s accused of making an attempt to extort the Vatican for 15 million euros to cede management of the London property.

The trial has introduced the Holy See into unprecedented authorized challenges in international judicial techniques. British courts have dominated repeatedly in opposition to the Vatican in associated litigation introduced by two of the defendants.

In one 2021 resolution, Judge Tony Baumgartner of Southwark Crown Court discovered Vatican prosecutors made “appalling” misrepresentations about their investigation into Torzi. He dominated the Vatican didn’t have a lot of a case in opposition to Torzi as a result of signed contracts gave him management of the constructing, and ordered his belongings launched.

In a more moderen ruling, Judge David Foxton of Britain’s Commercial Court dominated in June that the Holy See couldn’t depend on the “pontifical secret” to protect high-level communications between high Vatican officers from discovery.

That ruling got here in a lawsuit filed in opposition to the secretariat of state by London-based dealer Raffaele Mincione over the reputational hurt he says he has suffered on account of the Vatican trial and the press protection it has generated. Mincione dealt with the unique Vatican funding into the London deal, which he says was fully above board.

The British courtroom allowed the lawsuit to go ahead, in a setback for Rome. But the Vatican sought to withhold WhatsApp messages, emails, notes and texts between the Vatican secretary of state and the Vatican chief of employees from discovery, arguing they handled “high level political matters” and have been coated by “pontifical secret,” the violation of which was a “grave sin” that would lead to excommunication.

Foxton, nevertheless, ordered the Vatican to adjust to all disclosure rulings of the courtroom with out counting on “pontifical secret.” He additionally ordered the Holy See to pay Mincione’s authorized charges.