London trial: Vatican promoter of justice presents sentencing requests

By Barbara Castelli

The Office of the Promoter of Jusice has requested seventy-three years and a month of imprisonment, and interdictive and financial penalties of various kinds for the ten defendants in the London facts trial.

Specifically, for Cardinal Angelo Becciu, accused in the trial on financial investments of the Secretariat of State in London for abuse of office, embezzlement and subornation, Alessandro Diddi requested seven years and three months of imprisonment, in addition to a fine of 10,329 euro and perpetual ban from public offices.

Other sanctions

Other sanctions involve Msgr. Mauro Carlino, accused of extortion and abuse of office. For him, five years and four months of imprisonment were requested, in addition to the perpetual ban and a fine of 8,000 euro.

And again: for Enrico Crasso, held responsible by the Office of the Promoter for money laundering and self-money laundering, fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, corruption, extortion, undue perception of disbursement to the detriment of the State, false material of public deed committed by the private, false in private writing, undue perception of disbursement to the detriment of the State, nine years and nine months were requested, in addition to the perpetual ban and 18,000 euro fine.

Tommaso Di Ruzza: abuse of office, abuse of authority and violation of duties inherent in a public office, four years and three months, in addition to temporary interdiction and 9,600 euro.

Cecilia Marogna: embezzlement, four years and eight months imprisonment, perpetual interdiction from public offices, and a 10,329 euro fine.

Raffaele Mincione: self-money laundering, fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, embezzlement, corruption, 11 years and five months, perpetual interdiction, and 15,450 euro.

Nicola Squillace: money laundering and self-money laundering, fraud and embezzlement, six years of imprisonment, suspension from the exercise of the profession, and a fine of 12,500 euro.

Fabrizio Tirabassi: money laundering and self-money laundering, embezzlement, abuse of office, corruption, fraud and extortion, 13 years and three months, perpetual interdiction and 18,750 euro.

Gianluigi Torzi: money laundering and self-money laundering, embezzlement, corruption, fraud, embezzlement and extortion, seven years and six months of imprisonment, interdiction perpetua, and 9,000 euro.

René Brülhart: accused of abuse of office, three years and eight months imprisonment, temporary ban, and 10,239 euro fine.

None of the defendants were present in the multifunctional hall of the Vatican Museums.

These requests were made, in addition to several confiscations, for several million euros; and the requests made for the companies involved: Logsic Humanitarne Dejavnosti; Prestige Family Office; Sogenel Capital Investment; HP Finance.

The evaluation criteria

Mr. Diddi also illustrated the criteria he used to process the requests. In particular, the Penal Code adopted by the Vatican City State, the so-called Zanardelli, which doesn't feature a "methodology of sanctioning treatment."

Thus an "inspiring principle" has been traced to Article 21 of the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, promulgated by Pope Francis on 13 May 2023, which reads: "In applying the law, the judge is inspired by the principle of equity, works for the restoration of justice and favors conciliation between the parties. In criminal cases, moreover, the judge imposes the sentence according to the rehabilitation of the offender, his reintegration, and the restoration of the violated legal order."

Becciu’s defense statement

Following the hearing, lawyers Maria Concetta Marzo and Fabio Viglione, defenders of Cardinal Angelo Becciu, issued a press release stating how "the requests of the Promoter of Justice do not take into account the results of the trial which proved the absolute innocence of the Cardinal for the operation related to the London Palace and for any other charges.”

"As for the requests of the Promoter,” they add, “not even a day would be a fair penalty.”