This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/10/vatican-it-expert-sentenced
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Vatican IT expert sentenced in papal butler case | Vatican IT expert sentenced in papal butler case |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A Vatican computer expert found in possession of embarrassing documents about the Holy See has been handed a suspended two-month sentence following the jailing of the pope's butler for 18 months for stealing and leaking the pope's letters. | A Vatican computer expert found in possession of embarrassing documents about the Holy See has been handed a suspended two-month sentence following the jailing of the pope's butler for 18 months for stealing and leaking the pope's letters. |
| Claudio Sciarpelletti, 48, an IT expert at the Vatican's secretariat of state, was tried for aiding and abetting papal butler Paolo Gabriele after Vatican police found an envelope of documents in his desk addressed to Gabriele. | Claudio Sciarpelletti, 48, an IT expert at the Vatican's secretariat of state, was tried for aiding and abetting papal butler Paolo Gabriele after Vatican police found an envelope of documents in his desk addressed to Gabriele. |
| The documents contained allegations of conflicts of interest inside the Vatican police, claims which appeared in a book, Your Holiness, alongside letters Gabriele had smuggled out of the pope's office which lifted the lid on corruption allegations at the Vatican. | The documents contained allegations of conflicts of interest inside the Vatican police, claims which appeared in a book, Your Holiness, alongside letters Gabriele had smuggled out of the pope's office which lifted the lid on corruption allegations at the Vatican. |
| In a legal twist, the Vatican court sentenced Sciarpelletti on Saturday for giving conflicting evidence to the police as they investigated Gabriele, rather than for concealing the documents, which were described as "of irrelevant value". | In a legal twist, the Vatican court sentenced Sciarpelletti on Saturday for giving conflicting evidence to the police as they investigated Gabriele, rather than for concealing the documents, which were described as "of irrelevant value". |
| Sciarpelleti first told police in May he had received the documents from Gabriele, then from Father Carlo Maria Polvani, his superior at the Vatican. | Sciarpelleti first told police in May he had received the documents from Gabriele, then from Father Carlo Maria Polvani, his superior at the Vatican. |
| But in court on Saturday Sciarpelletti said he received the envelope two years ago and could no longer recall who had given it to him, adding he had never looked inside it. | But in court on Saturday Sciarpelletti said he received the envelope two years ago and could no longer recall who had given it to him, adding he had never looked inside it. |
| Polvani is the nephew of Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, whose allegations about kickbacks in Vatican contracting were leaked and published in Your Holiness. | Polvani is the nephew of Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, whose allegations about kickbacks in Vatican contracting were leaked and published in Your Holiness. |
| Giving evidence on Saturday, Polvani denied he had given sensitive documents to Sciarpelletti, calling it "unthinkable", while Gabriele said he had supplied them. Polvani described Sciarpelletti and Gabriele as "great friends". | Giving evidence on Saturday, Polvani denied he had given sensitive documents to Sciarpelletti, calling it "unthinkable", while Gabriele said he had supplied them. Polvani described Sciarpelletti and Gabriele as "great friends". |
| One Vatican expert said the court's decision to define the documents as irrelevant showed it had "no interest" in discovering if other whisteblowers were at work in the Vatican. "The whole point was not to discover what were the connections of the people involved, and whether they had supporters, if not accomplices," said Marco Politi, author of Joseph Ratzinger, the crisis of a papacy. | One Vatican expert said the court's decision to define the documents as irrelevant showed it had "no interest" in discovering if other whisteblowers were at work in the Vatican. "The whole point was not to discover what were the connections of the people involved, and whether they had supporters, if not accomplices," said Marco Politi, author of Joseph Ratzinger, the crisis of a papacy. |
| "It is just not credible that Sciarpelletti cannot remember who gave him the envelope," he said. | "It is just not credible that Sciarpelletti cannot remember who gave him the envelope," he said. |
| In a separate development, the chances that Gabriele will receive a papal pardon have dimmed. At his sentencing on 6 October, a Vatican spokesman said there was a "concrete" chance the pope would use his absolute power at the Vatican to free Gabriele. | In a separate development, the chances that Gabriele will receive a papal pardon have dimmed. At his sentencing on 6 October, a Vatican spokesman said there was a "concrete" chance the pope would use his absolute power at the Vatican to free Gabriele. |
| But on 25 October, the secretariat of state issued a strongly worded statement claiming that Gabriele had "personally offended" the pope and "must undergo the period of detention decreed". | But on 25 October, the secretariat of state issued a strongly worded statement claiming that Gabriele had "personally offended" the pope and "must undergo the period of detention decreed". |
| The statement also said Gabriele's trial had showed "that plots, or the involvement of other people" in the leaks were "unfounded". | The statement also said Gabriele's trial had showed "that plots, or the involvement of other people" in the leaks were "unfounded". |
| Gabriele has previously claimed that up to 20 other Vatican staffers were leaking embarrassing documents and letters. | Gabriele has previously claimed that up to 20 other Vatican staffers were leaking embarrassing documents and letters. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |