IOR woes continue, Vatican will collaborate ‘fully’ with judges
28 June, 13:15
(ANSAmed) – ROME – Italian police on Friday arrested a prelate in charge of Vatican accounts, a member of Italy’s domestic intelligence service and a financial broker in a probe into suspected currency violations at the Vatican Bank, IOR.
Msgr Nunzio Scarano is head of analytic accounts at the Holy See’s asset-management agency APSA. He was arrested on suspicion of corruption and fraud in currency dealings along with Giovanni Maria Zito, an agent in the AISI intelligence agency, and Rome broker Giovanni Carenzio.
The Vatican will cooperate “fully” with a probe into alleged currency-transfer violations that led to the arrest of Msgr Nunzio Scarano, Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters Friday. Lombardi said the prelate had been suspended from his job as head of analytic accounts at the Holy See’s asset-management agency APSA “more than a month ago”. The Holy See has yet to receive a formal request from relevant Italian authorities, Lombardi added. Police said Scarano and Zito got a private jet to fly back from Switzerland to Italy 20 million euros in cash for a family who were friends with the prelate.
Zito is suspected of getting 400,000 euros for arranging cover for the flight.
Scarano has been named in a separate probe into receiving money in Salerno near Naples.
IOR has been hit by two probes in the last four years and has appointed a new head to try to get it onto the white list of countries with top anti-money-laundering credentials.(ANSAmed).