ROME
Telegraph (UK)
The Catholic priest at the heart of a Vatican money scandal has claimed he did not act for personal gain when he attempted to bring 20 million euros into Italy from Switzerland illicitly.
Nick Squires in Rome 5:03PM BST 30 Jun 2013
Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, 61, will be questioned by investigators on Monday in the 17th century Rome prison in which is being held, as more details emerge of the complex scheme.
Nicknamed by fellow priests “Monsignor 500” for his habit of flashing a wallet full of 500 euro notes, he has insisted that he committed no crime when he allegedly tried to import the cash on board a private jet.
“Monsignor Scarano will answer all questions and will explain what his role was, showing that he had no personal interest in the matter,” Silverio Sica, his lawyer, said.
“There was no profit in it for him and he acted purely in a spirit of friendship.”
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