Woman in financial scandal wants Vatican to prosecute or drop case
June 11, 2021
An Italian woman who has been accused of embezzlement by the Vatican is asking Italian authorities to intervene in her case—to demand that the Vatican either proceed with prosecution or drop the charges.
Cecilia Marogna, a “security expert,” was arrested last October by Italian police, and held for two weeks, on a warrant issued by the Vatican. However her lawyers fought successfully against her extradition to face charges before a Vatican tribunal, and she was released by an Italian court order. In January 2021 the Vatican dropped the request for her extradition.
Since that time the Vatican has not filed a formal criminal complaint against Marogna. Her lawyers say that her uncertain status makes it impossible for her to find work, and urge that the Italian embassy persuade the Vatican to “put an end to this situation.”
The Vatican charges that Marogna misused nearly €600,000 ($725,000) that she had received from the Vatican Secretariat of State, using the money for her own luxury purchases. She denies the charges, claiming that she undertook security work assigned by Cardinal Angelo Becciu—the influential prelate who was forced to resign last year because of his involvement in questionable financial transactions.
In May, Marogna added an intriguing new charge to the burgeoning scandal, saying that she had been asked by Cardinal Becciu to compile dossiers of damaging personal information about other Vatican officials.
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Posted by: grateful1 -
Jun. 12, 2021 12:39 PM ET USA
She's right: it's a question o basic fairness. In the U.S., the Constitution itself grants the right to a "speedy trial," with "speediness" determined under statutory & case law. That's because we presume a person innocent until proven guilty, & we recognize that while awaiting trial, the presumably innocent person is living under a cloud. Undue delay amounts to punishment without proof of guilt. The Vatican may offer no such protections, but both defendant & the public deserve better.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Jun. 11, 2021 5:55 PM ET USA
A few of the dirty machinations in the Vatican exposed.
