The Tribunal of Vatican City State found Cardinal Angelo Becciu to be guilty of embezzlement, abuse of position, and a breach of trust.
In July 2021, Becciu was charged with several financial crimes while working at the Secretariat of State.
On Saturday, after 86 hearings that lasted more than two years and included 76 witnesses Judge Giuseppe Pignatone handed down the verdicts to all defendants.
Becciu received a sentence of five-and-a-half years in prison and an additional EUR 8,000 in fine. He has also been permanently barred from holding any office.
Five other defendants received prison sentences as well: Enrico Crasso was sentenced to seven years in prison; Cecilia Marogna to three years, Raffaele Micione five years, Fabrizio TIRABASI seven years, and Gianluigi Toriz six years.
Nicola Squillace and Rene Brulhart were given suspended sentences, while Tommaso di Ruzza was fined.
Msgr. Mauro Carino was acquitted on all charges.
Logsic Humitarne Dejavnosti, the only company found to be guilty, was fined $44,000.
The case revolved around a botched London real estate deal where the Secretariat of State purchased a plot of land in Chelsea and was forced to sell it for a loss of $150 million.
Becciu has been found guilty of other, unrelated misconduct. This includes embezzlement via a Sardinian Catholic Charity run by his brother as well as misuse of funds allocated to ransom an abducted nun.
The court ordered the confiscation of more than 181 million dollars related to this scandal and sentenced each defendant to pay approximately $218 million to civil parties.
The highest civil court of Vatican City, the Tribunal of Vatican City State (TTC), heard the case.
Becciu is the first ever cardinal to be tried under the civil court system of the Vatican — and the first ever to be convicted.
Becciu’s lawyer has insisted on the innocence of the cardinal and announced, after the verdict, his intention to appeal.
