Banker says he warned Vatican about London fund investor

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican’s longtime investment banker has testified that he repeatedly voiced concerns about a fund that was investing in a troubled London property, but said the Holy See insisted on pursuing the deal even as it lost money. Enrico Crasso said Monday he was very much on the sidelines of the London deal, which is at the center of the Vatican’s big fraud and embezzlement trial. Prosecutors have accused Crasso and nine other people of fleecing the Holy See of tens of millions of euros and of ultimately extorting the Vatican for 15 million euros to get control of the property. Crasso denies wrongdoing and testified Monday that his investments for the Vatican always turned a profit.