Journalist deflates accusation at Vatican financial trial

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — An Italian journalist has deflated an accusation in the Vatican’s sprawling financial trial. Investigative journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi was called to testify by defense lawyers representing the former head of the Vatican’s financial watchdog agency. Prosecutors accused the former head of having given Fittipaldi a copy of a contract related to the London deal, in violation of Vatican confidentiality laws. Fittipaldi had published a screenshot of the contract in 2019, just as the Vatican investigation into the London deal was heating up. He told the court on Wednesday that the head of the watchdog agency didn’t give him the contract, and named the person who he said had, and had agreed to be identified.