The fourth hearing in the trial against Cardinal Angelo Becciu and five other defendants has taken place in the Vatican. Debate was still centered on procedural issues and not yet on the alleged crimes.
Defense lawyers are asking that the trial be annulled because the lead prosecutor presented recordings of interrogations with numerous parts cut out.
They also say that the prosecution withheld information on a meeting they had in which they could have interrogated the Pope.
According to material accessed by the defense, the chief prosecutor referred to the interrogation while addressing the main witness in April 2020, saying:
'Before what we are now doing, we went to see the Holy Father and asked him what had happened, and, I can doubt everyone except the Holy Father.'
The prosecution will have problems if it is confirmed to have taken place, since the procedural code prohibits the interrogation of the head of state.
The prosecutor says he was not referring to an interrogation but to this response Pope Francis gave at a press conference when asked about the case.
POPE FRANCISCO
NOVEMBER 26, 2019
It was the internal auditor who said: “Here is something bad, something wrong.” He came to see me and I said: “Are you sure?” “Yes....” He showed me the numbers. “What should I do?” “There is Vatican justice: go file a complaint with the Attorney General.”
The lead prosecutor says he omitted parts of the presented material because they refer to other alleged crimes which he is investigating.
The next hearing will be held on December 1, and then the court could decide who to believe.
Although no images of the hearing were distributed, the only defendant to appear was Cardinal Angelo Becciu.
JMB
TR: JM
