Vatican Indicts 10 People, Including a Cardinal, in UK Deal

Vatican Indicts 10 People, Including a Cardinal, in UK Deal
Cardinal Angelo Becciu looks down as he meets the media during a press conference in Rome, on Sept. 25, 2020. Gregorio Borgia /AP Photo
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ROME—A Vatican judge on Saturday indicted 10 people, including a once-powerful cardinal, on charges including embezzlement, abuse of office, extortion, and fraud in connection with the Secretariat of State’s €350 million investment in a London real estate venture.

The president of the Vatican’s criminal tribunal, Giuseppe Pignatone, set July 27 as the trial date, but lawyers for the defendants immediately questioned how they could prepare for trial so soon given they hadn’t yet formally received the indictment or any of the documentation in the case.