Vatican former auditor general Libero Milone, who has been cleared of alleged espionage and embezzlement charges, has opened up about why he resigned, returned, and his views on his arrest.
His reason for resigning was compelling, he says. Once presented with the charges against him, he felt he must sign a resignation letter on the spot.
Senior Vatican officials claimed Milone deployed illicit wiretaps while in his brief period on the job and suggested he was guilty of financial irregularities.
Three months after his June 2017 resignation, Milone told news sources he had been intimidated by the Vatican police during his arrest and felt forced to accept resignation under the threat of being sent to jail.
He also claimed an “old guard” was attempting to stop the avalanche of financial reforms promoted by Pope Francis and his predecessor, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.
Milone’s newly created auditor-general’s post was one such reform. It carried previously unheard-of powers including, for example, the authority to summon financial statements from all Vatican departments.
“It is true to say that we discovered a series of anomalies and errors for which we had asked for corrections to be made,” Milone says.
“Certain individuals might have been concerned about some of our findings, but it was something I expected.”
He describes his approach in the Vatican as “thorough” and “methodical.” He created his own department and hand-selected his associates.
He also produced an audit manual and procedure, plus an internal ethical code for the Vatican auditors.
Despite being cleared of all the charges, and with the Vatican’s assurance that he will not be prosecuted for alleged misconduct, Milone says he has had no employment offers.
In his view, a “compilation of lies” has poisoned his public reputation.
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