A court in the Holy See on Saturday
sentenced Cardinal Angelo Becciu to five and a half years in
jail for allegedly mismanaging a property portfolio including a
luxury flat on London's Sloan Avenue.
Becciu, the highest ranking Vatican official ever to face
financial charges, was convicted on two counts of embezzlement
and one of aggravated fraud.
He was instead acquitted of other counts of embezzlement, abuse
of office and witness tampering.
The promoter of justice Alessandro Diddi had requested a
sentence of seven years three months for the 75-year-old
Sardinian and former Substitute for General Affairs in the
Secretariat of State.
In addition to handing down the jail sentence, the court also
fined Becciu 8,000 euro and banned from public office for life.
Becciu's defence lawyer Fabio Viglione said he and his client
"respect the sentence, but we will certainly appeal".
Becciu is one of 10 defendants in the case for whom Diddi had
collectively requested a total of 73 years' imprisonment.
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