VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Vatican police on Friday arrested Gianluigi Torzi, an Italian middleman who was part of a deal in which the Vatican purchased a luxury building in London as an investment.
Torzi, who was arrested after questioning by Vatican magistrates, was accused of extortion, embezzlement, aggravated fraud and money laundering, a statement from the Vatican press office said. He was the first person to be arrested in connection with the deal.
The investigation already had led to the suspension last year of five Vatican employees, the resignation of the Vatican’s police chief and the departure of the former head of the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority (AIF).
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Gareth Jones)
