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Rome: Senior priest arrested in Vatican bank enquiry


A senior Italian cleric has been arrested today in connection with an inquiry into the Institute for the Works of Religion, know as the Vatican Bank,. Monsignor Nunzio Scarano works in the Vatican's financial administration. A secret service agent and a financial broker have also been arrested. They are suspected of trying to move 20m euros (£17m) illegally into Italy.

The arrests come just two days after Pope Francis established a commission to review the bank.

Monsignor Scarano, 61, worked for years as a senior accountant for a Vatican department known as Apsa (the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See).

He was suspended from that position "about a month ago, after his superiors learnt about an investigation into his activities", Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

Mgr Scarano has been under investigation by Italian police for a series of suspicious transactions involving the recycling through the Vatican bank of a series of cheques described as church donations.

This morning, Fr Lombardi said in a statement: "As has been made known in the past few days, Mgr Nunzio Scarano was suspended from his position at the APSA over a month ago, as soon as his superiors were informed that he was under investigation. This is in compliance of the Regulations of the Roman Curia, which require the precautionary suspension of persons against whom prosecution has been initiated.

"The Holy See has still not received any request from the Italian authorities on the matter, but has confirmed its willingness to cooperate fully. The Vatican authority, the AIF (the Vatican Financial Information Authority), is following the issue in order to take, if necessary, appropriate measures within its competence."

Source: VIS

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