Libero Milone Corruption Allegations Spark Vatican Controversy

Libero Milone's tenure as the Vatican's chief auditor has been marred by corruption allegations. He was appointed in 2011 to root out financial mismanagement within the Vatican's vast assets.

The scandal centers around a loan of 350 million euros to a real estate company, which was later revealed to be a shell company controlled by a wealthy Italian businessman. The loan was made without proper documentation or oversight, and it's unclear what happened to the funds.

Milone's office was tasked with investigating the loan, but he was also accused of mishandling the audit, failing to disclose potential conflicts of interest, and even using Vatican funds for personal expenses.

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Libero Milone is taking his case to the Vatican City's Supreme Court, where he's suing the Holy See for 9.3-million euros.

The court is a significant venue for Milone's case, as it's the highest authority in the Vatican's judicial system.

Milone claims his 2017 ouster as auditor general was unjust and part of a larger effort to block financial reform within the Vatican.

He's seeking a substantial amount of money for unfair dismissal, which is a clear indication of the gravity of the situation.

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Cardinal Becciu was convicted of corruption and abuse of office in a separate Vatican City court case in December 2023. This conviction was related to the same type of questionable investments and illicit financial practices that Libero Milone was investigating when he was fired.

Milone and Panicco had filed hundreds of pages of documents to prove widespread corruption among senior curial officials, but these filings were excluded as irrelevant to the wrongful dismissal case. The appeal judges ruled that the documents contained "general and repeated attribution to persons holding top positions in the Roman Curia of practices that are at least immoral and certainly indecent."

The London investment property on Sloane Avenue was specifically mentioned by Milone as one of the questionable investments he was investigating. This property was connected to the corruption allegations that ultimately led to Becciu's indictment and conviction.

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Libero Milone's future legal options are limited within Vatican City.

He can petition the Court of Cassation, the final judicial forum, which was reformed by Pope Francis in 2023.

The Court of Cassation now has cardinals without legal backgrounds as judges, a change that might impact the outcome of Milone's lawsuit.

Milone has indicated he might release excluded files to the public if his lawsuit fails.

He's also stated that he's been unable to work due to the reputational damage caused by the Vatican's statements about him.

The Vatican's statements have likely caused significant harm, as Milone's former deputy, Ferruccio Panicco, claimed that Vatican officials seized and withheld his personal medical records, delaying his treatment.

Libero Milone's appointment as the Vatican's first auditor-general is a significant move in reforming the Church's finances. He was chosen for the role due to his experience as ex-chairman and CEO of Deloitte in Italy.

The Vatican has been working to clean up its finances, and Milone is expected to play a key part in this process. A series of problems within the Holy See's finances led to KPMG being brought in last year to advise on internal accounting procedures.

Cardinal George Pell, head of the Vatican's Secretariat for the Economy, said the auditor-general will be solely answerable to the Pope and has carte-blanche to review the Vatican's finances in any department.

The Vatican has made a significant move in its efforts to reform its finances by appointing a new auditor-general. Libero Milone, a former chairman and CEO of Deloitte in Italy, has been selected for the role.

This appointment is part of Pope Francis' efforts to clean up the Vatican's reputation, which has been tainted by financial scandals. The new auditor-general will be solely answerable to the Pope and has carte-blanche to review the Vatican's finances in any department.

The Vatican has also brought in KPMG to advise on its internal accounting procedures, following a series of problems within the Holy See's finances. This move is part of a broader effort to reform the Vatican's finances and bring it in line with international standards.

Cardinal George Pell, the head of the Vatican's Secretariat for the Economy, will oversee the new auditor-general and ensure that the Vatican's finances are transparent and accountable.

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Libero Milone, the former Vatican Auditor General, was fired in 2017 after two years of work. He was commissioned by Pope Francis to review the accounts of all Vatican departments.

Milone denies the accusation that he was fired for overstepping his duties by commissioning a company to spy on senior curial officials. He argues that his dismissal had to do with the resistance he encountered while doing his job.

The former auditor general is suing the Holy See for 9.3-million euros for unfair dismissal. He claims that his only consolation is that all those he accuses of undermining his efforts no longer work at the Vatican.

Milone found dozens of alleged irregularities during his time at the Vatican, including plastic bags with half a million euros inside a cardinal's office and money gaps of hundreds of thousands of euros. He also claimed that viruses were installed in his computer to spy on his work.

As an experienced auditor, Milone advised several multinational companies and was president of Deloitte in Italy before joining the Vatican.

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