Journalist deflates accusation at Vatican financial trial

ROME (AP) — An Italian journalist on Wednesday deflated an accusation in the Vatican’s sprawling financial trial, as he disputed prosecutors’ claims about the source of a document concerning the Vatican’s 350 million euro investment in a London property.

Investigative journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi was called to testify by defense lawyers representing Tommaso Di Ruzza, the former head of the Vatican’s financial watchdog agency. Vatican prosecutors accused Di Ruzza of having given Fittipaldi a copy of a contract related to the London deal, in violation of Vatican confidentiality laws.

Fittipaldi, then a reporter at L’Espresso magazine and now with the Domani daily, had published a screenshot of the contract on Oct. 1, 2019, just as the Vatican investigation into the London deal was heating up.

Prosecutors ultimately charged 10 people, alleging that Vatican officials, Italian brokers and others fleeced the Holy See of tens of millions of euros and then extorted the Vatican of 15 million euros to hand over control of the London property. All 10 have denied wrongdoing.