VATICAN CITY
Reuters
By Philip Pullella | VATICAN CITY
Vatican authorities froze more than two million euros in cases of suspected money laundering in 2016 as part of Pope Francis’ drive to clean up the finances of the Holy See, its chief magistrate said on Saturday.
Gian Pietro Milano, whose official title is Promoter of Justice, made the disclosure during his annual address on the state of the Vatican’s criminal justice system.
Milano gave no details in his speech but added that the total amount of suspect money frozen between 2013 and 2016 was about 13 million euros.
The money was frozen following alerts from the Vatican Financial Intelligence Authority (AIF), which Francis has given more operative power.
Milano did not say how much of the money was later unblocked following investigations but that in 2016 two cases led to indictments and three were shelved.
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