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A prelate, who was earlier arrested for allegedly laundering Vatican money, told a magistrate that the Vatican department in charge of paying salaries and managing real estate acted improperly as a parallel bank.
Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, 61, who is under investigation, said the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, known as APSA, allowed the office to be used by outsiders even though it was against its regulations.
Under questioning by Rome magistrates in July, Scarano said some officials at APSA, whose purpose is to pay Vatican salaries, fund its departments and manage its real estate, allowed the department to be used improperly by outsiders.
“As APSA, we were not allowed to have outside clients, but, despite this, in reality, we acted as a bank,” Scarano told the magistrates, according to the transcript of the questioning obtained by Reuters.
“We took in money, used it, and paid out interest to depositors,” he said.
The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said he had no comment on Scarano’s questioning.
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Image: AP/Gulf News
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