Becciu case, intrigue and dossier: the financial scandal is a confrontation between prelates. And 700,000 euros end up in Australia

Give him financial intrigues to the season of poisons. Research on economic scandals of the Secretary of state thickens and looks more and more like a real one confrontation inside the Vatican Apostolic Palace. Accusations of aggi file Artistically crafted with the aim of putting your enemies in the media pillory. Talking is one of the investigated, monsignor Alberto Perlasca, involved in the investigation on the purchase of the building of Sloane Avenue, at the time of the events, head of the administrative office of the first section of the Secretary of State. Dismissed and expelled from the diplomatic service of the Holy See, the prelate, however, did not return to his Diocese of Como and decided to collaborate with the Vatican magistrates by pointing a finger at the cardinal Angelo Becciu, former prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, but at the time of the controversial events, substitute for the Secretary of State, or direct superior of Perlasca.

The cardinal responded immediately, who, through his lawyer, announced that he “expresses extreme astonishment and pain, denouncing the blatant falsehood. Although he sympathizes with him, humanly and Christianly, due to the difficult personal moment he is going through due to the investigation that sees him involved and in relation to which he defends himself with these alleged statements, His Eminence decidedly rejects any kind of allusion to privileged relationships ghosts with the press, which they would like to use for defamatory purposes against high prelates. Given that these facts are openly false – Becci’s lawyer added – I have received an express mandate to denounce his defamation, whatever its origin, to protect his honor and reputation, before the competent courts ”. the eloquent sign that now the war, even between the suspects, has reached its peak.

But that is not all. In fact, Perlasca also spoke with the Pope’s magistrates about a bank transfer of 700 thousand euros its a Australian account carried out just like the cardinal George Pell, former prefect of the Ministry of Economy, was being tried by pedophilia. An accusation of which the Superior Court of Justice of his country acquitted him unanimously. Admit, however, that something, in the management of Vatican finances, Pell’s successor, the current prefect of the Ministry of Economy, Sr., was not Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves. “It is possible – explained the Jesuit priest – that, in some cases, the Holy See was, in addition to being discouraged, also cheated. I think we are learning from mistakes the imprudence From the past. Now it is a question of accelerating, at the decisive and insistent impulse of the Pope, the process of knowledge, internal transparency and external, control and collaboration between the different departments. We have included top-level professionals in our teams. Today there is communication and collaboration between economic content departments to address these issues. Collaboration is a big step forward. The Secretary of State, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See and the Secretary of Economy cooperate willingly. We can certainly make mistakes, make mistakes or be scammed, but I find this more difficult to happen when we collaborate and act with competition, transparency and trust between us “.

The reference, not so veiled, is to the network of financiers who have benefited from the investments of the Secretary of State. A turnover of millions of euros between dummy advice, companies opened to increase costs, money contributed Switzerland, scams, blackmails and corruption. For the prosecutors of the Holy See, a key figure is undoubtedly Fabrizio Tirabassi, at the time of the act of the administrative office of the Secretary of State and then fired during the investigation. For the prosecution, it is he who “has contributed to the realization ofOperation Gutt Sa which ended with a disbursement of 15 million euros without any plausible economic justification. “It is he who has personally followed the maneuvers of the Luxembourg company owned by Gianluigi torzi and the magistrates do not believe him when he claims to have been deceived.

Why Tirabassi, for 30 years at the service of Vatican, is a business consultant competent, in addition to being “very active in proposing investments with funds from the Secretary of State to the different asset managers, establishing activities with them also personally ”. Official with an account in the “IOR (balance of 700 thousand euros) fed exclusively with the emoluments that the Holy See pays him but has never moved.” Assets that, for the magistrates, “not only appear disproportionate to the salary paid by the Secretary of State, but, in light of the investigations, make plausible the hypothesis that Tirabassi committed the crime of corruption or complicity in embezzlement “. “. To which is added that of embezzlement, because “collusion with Patrizia Crassus, with which he undoubtedly agreed to use the funds for purposes other than institutional ones. “And it is Crassus himself who introduces, in 2012, The financial Raffaele Mincione in the Vatican. According to prosecutors, “despite the fact that the Secretary of State has been warned in the last year about Crassus’ activity, it continues to trust him and does not take away delegation to operate with their current accounts “.

A group of financiers who, in the shadow of the Cupola, speculated with the money of the Secretary of State, including those of theSaint Peter Pennies destined for the Pope’s charity. Meanwhile, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See has paid the last installment of 45 millions, at 150, to redeem the Sloane Avenue building. This time, as the father explained Guerrero Alves, the Secretary of State “has contributed all its funds to the IOR and theApsa and will participate in the process of centralization of investments, with a more technical and professional management ”. Specifying that it is not correct to speak of “Loss of portfolio” From the Secretary of State: “The management will be done differently, as with the other dicasteries that have a portfolio. In recent months I have seen that in the Vatican, as in the rest of the Church, there is a sacred respect for the destination of funds, for the will expressed by the donors. When a donation has been accepted for a specific purpose, it is honored. Many of the funds administered by the Secretary of State have been received for a specific purpose, always naturally linked to our mission. If the funds are to be administered by another body, they must remain associated for that purpose, with the same beneficiaries ”.

Twitter: @FrancescoGrana