Italian police seize $30M from Vatican in probe

[EmperorNapoleon]

“Italian authorities seized euro23 million ($30.18 million) from a Vatican bank account Tuesday and said they have begun investigating top officials of the Vatican bank in connection with a money laundering probe…The is probe not the first time the bank — formally known as the Institute for Works of Religion — has faced trouble. In the 1980s, it was involved in a major scandal that resulted in a banker, dubbed “God’s Banker” because of his close ties to the Vatican, being found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London.”

 

[Timothy17]

yahoonews:

…]

**Italian financial police seized the money as a precaution **

and prosecutors placed the Vatican bank’s chairman and director general under investigation **for alleged mistakes **linked to violations of Italy’s anti-laundering laws, news reports said.

…]

“The Holy see is perplexed and surprised by the initiatives of the Rome prosecutors, considering the data necessary is already available at the Bank of Italy,” it said in a statement.

Gotti Tedeschi told state-run RAI television that he was “humiliated and mortified” by news of the probe, which he said had **arrived just as he was implementing new transparency procedures **at the bank.

It would be nice if the article gave names, instead of saying such vague things like “Italian authorities said,” or “the Holy See said,” etc. I would like to know exactly who in Italy gave the order (and who’s permission he might have needed, did any elected officials need to give their consent ? If so, on what grounds ?) and who at the Holy See is drafting responses for the press.

Pax,
Tim