Vatican court convicts cardinal of embezzlement in corruption trial

Becciu was the highest ranking Church official ever to stand trail before a Vatican criminal court.

A Vatican court on Saturday convicted Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu of several counts of embezzlement and sentenced him to five years and six months in jail.

Becciu was the highest ranking Church official ever to stand trail before a Vatican criminal court. The 75-year-old, a former adviser to Pope Francis who was once considered a papal contender himself, was the most senior clergyman in the Catholic Church to face a Vatican criminal court.

He and nine other defendants, including financiers, lawyers and ex-Vatican employees, were on trial for accusations of financial crimes focused on an opaque London property deal.

Court president Giuseppe Pignatone read out the verdict Saturday, with Becciu accused of embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering.

His lawyer, Fabio Viglione, said they respected the sentence but would “certainly” appeal. He was also handed a fine of 8,000 euros.

At the heart of the trial is the 350-million-euro ($380-million) purchase of a luxury property in London, as part of an investment that began in 2014 and ended up costing the Vatican tens of millions of euros.