VATICAN CITY
Reuters

Prelate has been in jail since June 28
* Had close ties to the Vatican bank
* Subject of two separate investigations

By Massimiliano Di Giorgio and Philip Pullella

ROME, July 19 (Reuters) – An arrested Catholic prelate asked to meet Pope Francis to tell him of irregular activities in the Vatican’s financial administration before he was detained on suspicion of money smuggling, according to a judicial document and a legal source.

Monsignor Nunzio Scarano has also written a letter to the pope from his jail cell and given documents to magistrates, a source with direct knowledge of the case said.

Scarano was for years a senior accountant at APSA, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. Through APSA, he had ready access to the Vatican bank, where he had several accounts and which itself is under pressure from the international financial…