(ANSA) - Rome, February 13 - Msgr Nunzio Scarano, a former
Vatican financial official who tried to fly 20 million euros
back to Italy from Switzerland, was convicted of defamation and
corruption on appeal Wednesday and given a three-year sentence.
At the first instance trial, three years ago, Scarano was not
convicted of corruption and got a two-year sentence only.
Scarano, former accountant of the Holy See's asset-management
agency APSA, wound up in jail in June 2013 on charges of
corruption.
The cases of his two alleged accomplices, former intelligence
officer Giovanni Maria Zito and broker Giovanni Carenzio, were
put into separate proceedings.
Zito, having leased a plane to go to Switzerland, did not
reportedly succeed in the mission to bring the money back to
Italy.
Scarano was accused of defamation for falsely accusing Zito
of stealing a 200,000-euro cheque Scarano gave him as part of
the alleged corruption.
Msgr Scarano gets 3 yrs on appeal, also corruption
Ex-Vatican financial official was cleared of graft at 1st trial