Two former
Vatican bank managers and a lawyer have had their accounts seized as part of an
investigation into allegations of embezzlement, the Vatican said Saturday.
The bank,
officially known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), said it had
pressed charges against the trio some months ago and "the accounts held by
the concerned individuals at the IOR have recently been seized".
Italian
media reports named the accused as former bank president Angelo Caloia,
ex-director general Lelio Scaletti, and lawyer Gabriele Liuzzo.
While the
IOR would not provide details on the case "given the ongoing judicial
enquiry", Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told Italian media they were
suspected of embezzling money.
Reports
said they had siphoned off between 50 and 60 million euros ($61 and $73
million) while managing the sale by the bank of 29 buildings.
In a
statement the bank said the former managers and lawyer were under investigation
based on "circumstances recorded between 2001 and 2008 that have emerged
in the internal review process initiated in early 2013."
The IOR has
been trying to rid itself of a reputation for shady dealings, following a
series of money-laundering scandals in the past.
It was the
main shareholder of the Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in 1982 amid accusations
of ties to the Mafia, while its chairman Roberto Calvi -- dubbed "God's
Banker" -- was found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London in a
suspected murder by mobsters.
Pope
Francis was elected last year with a mandate to clean up the Vatican and has focused
on improving transparency in the centuries-old institution.
"We
are very pleased that the Vatican authorities are taking decisive action,"
Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, head of the IOR board, was quoted as saying.
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