Vatileaks: trial opens, it will be short Msgr. Gaenswein will testify
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The trial against Pope Benedict XVI's former butler charged with aggravated theft will be short and will see 8 witnesses testify, including the Pope's personal secretary Mgsr. Georg Gaenswein. This is what emerged from the first hearing in the trial which opened Saturday morning at 9.30 am in the Vatican City State Tribunal. Paolo Gabriele was present in the courtroom while the other defendant, Claudio Sciarpelletti, Secretary of State Computer expert was absent. The two are respectively charged aggravated theft of confidential documents and aiding and abetting the crime. The two risk, respectively, four years in prison (the maximum penalty for aggravated theft) and up to a year for aiding and abetting. The court, however, has decided to separate Sciarpelletti's trial, who has pleaded not guilty.
The
Court is composed of Giuseppe Dalla Torre, President of the Vatican Court, and
the judges Paolo
Papanti-Pelletier and Venerando Marano. The Promoter
of Justice (ie the prosecutor) is Nicola Picardi. The
attorneys for the defence are, respectively, Christian Arru for Paolo Gabriele and
Gianluca Benedetti for Claudio Sciarpelletti.
During
the hearing - which lasted two hours and 15 minutes - it emerged that are 82
boxes of materials collected at the home of Paolo Gabriele. It
is, said the head of the Gendarmerie Domenico Giani, documentation of various
kinds, not only private papers, but also materials that were considered pertinent
to the investigation. It
must be remembered that in the indictment, the Promoter of Justice Nicola
Picardi spoke of "three objects not belonging to the accused: 1) A check
of 100,000.00 Euro (one hundred thousand/00) payable Santidad Papa Benedicto XVI, dated March 26, 2012 from
the Universitad Catolica San Antonio Guadalupe; 2) A gold nugget, addressed to
His Holiness from Mr. Guido del Castillo, director ARU Lima (Peru) 3) A 16th
century copy of the Aeneid, translated by Annibale
Caro printed in Venice in 1581, a gift to His Holiness from the Families of
Pomezia. "
The trial
promises to be brief. "We
have allocated four hearings next week and these may be enough", the
President of the Vatican court, Giuseppe Dalla Torre announced this morning
before adjourning the court to October 2 for the next session, which will be
devoted to the interrogation of the Gabriele himself and other
evidence.
The
court, however, has broad powers and may request further investigation. If
during the hearings new criminal offenses emerge, the case will return to the
Promoter of Justice, who will decide whether to begin a criminal prosecution. It
is not excluded, but for now not expected that judges will be given access to
the results of investigation carried out by Commission of Cardinals appointed
by the Pope, even if unlikely.
Eight witnesses
have been called to testify. At
today's session the Vatican judges, in fact, read the list of witnesses,
without specifying whether they were requested by the prosecution or the
defense. Among those
called to testify Msgr. Gaenswein,
Cristina Cernetti, one of the four 'Memores Domini' (lay consecrated women
members of Communion and Liberation), who serve the Pope in the apartment, and six
Vatican police officers.
The
process is public: a limited number of journalists are allowed, but no cameras
or recording equipment.
.png)
23/10/2012
