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Vatican leaks scandal: Pope's advisers may be called as witnesses | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A Vatican judge trying five people over the leaking of secret documents has agreed to let some of Pope Francis's senior advisers be defence witnesses. | A Vatican judge trying five people over the leaking of secret documents has agreed to let some of Pope Francis's senior advisers be defence witnesses. |
Officials who could be called include his Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin. | Officials who could be called include his Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin. |
Those on trial include two journalists who published books detailing alleged financial mismanagement at the Vatican, and three members of a papal commission accused of leaking documents to them. | Those on trial include two journalists who published books detailing alleged financial mismanagement at the Vatican, and three members of a papal commission accused of leaking documents to them. |
One of them, a priest, alleges a fellow defendant seduced him. | |
The two books published last month, Avarice by Emanuele Fittipaldi and Merchants in the Temple by Gianluigi Nuzzi, paint a picture of clergy greed and financial waste. | The two books published last month, Avarice by Emanuele Fittipaldi and Merchants in the Temple by Gianluigi Nuzzi, paint a picture of clergy greed and financial waste. |
Vatican leaks lift the lid on Pope's financial battle | Vatican leaks lift the lid on Pope's financial battle |
Vatican reforms may be starting to bite | Vatican reforms may be starting to bite |
On trial alongside the two Italian writers are a Spanish priest, Monsignor Angelo Lucio Vallejo Balda, his secretary Nicola Maio, and Italian public relations specialist Francesca Chaouqui. | On trial alongside the two Italian writers are a Spanish priest, Monsignor Angelo Lucio Vallejo Balda, his secretary Nicola Maio, and Italian public relations specialist Francesca Chaouqui. |
Both the monsignor and Ms Chaouqui were members of the commission set up by Pope Francis to investigate the Vatican's murky finances two years ago. | Both the monsignor and Ms Chaouqui were members of the commission set up by Pope Francis to investigate the Vatican's murky finances two years ago. |
The priest says Ms Chaouqui put pressure on him to leak the documents - and that she seduced him in a hotel in Florence. She denies this claim. | |
Ms Chaouqui insists that she acted at all times in the best interests of Pope Francis himself. | |
Monday's ruling that Mr Parolin could be called as a witness came at the request of Ms Chaouqui's defence team. | Monday's ruling that Mr Parolin could be called as a witness came at the request of Ms Chaouqui's defence team. |
The court also ruled that electronic communications including WhatsApp messages between Ms Chaouqui and the monsignor could be analysed, Italian news agency Ansa reported. | The court also ruled that electronic communications including WhatsApp messages between Ms Chaouqui and the monsignor could be analysed, Italian news agency Ansa reported. |
The case follows an earlier "Vatileaks" scandal in 2012. | |
In that case, the then Pope Benedict's butler was convicted of leaking documents from the papal desk. |
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