Cardinal Angelo Becciu strongly defended his innocence in his first statement before the judge in his case in a Vatican tribunal. He argues that he has been the victim of 'an unprecedented media frenzy,' which has painted him as 'the worst of the cardinals' in a campaign that he has described as 'violent and vulgar.'
Cardinal Becciu was the Vatican's number three as substitute for the Secretariat of State. Today, he had to testify in court regarding accusations of misappropriation of funds sent to his home diocese in Sardinia.
In this first statement, more than a year after the trial began, Cardinal Becciu has described the accusations against him as 'monstrous accusations.' Nevertheless, the Cardinal confessed that Pope Francis has recently declared that he believes in his innocence.
Today, the cardinal argued that the funds sent to the diocese of Ozieri, in Sardinia, were used for their intended charitable purpose. In the coming months, he will also testify in the case concerning the alleged embezzlement of funds regarding an investment in a London property and for money he sent to Cecilia Marogna, a fellow Sardinian, which totalled about 500,000 euros for humanitarian projects.
Cardinal Becciu upholds his innocence. He insists that he never embezzled a single euro of the funds he managed at the Vatican Secretariat of State.
TR: KG
