DEFENCE SEEKS TO ANNUL CASE AGAINST CARDINAL

VATICAN CITY The prosecution at a Vatican trial of 10 people accused of financial crimes, including a cardinal, acknowledged on Tuesday weaknesses in its case and said it was willing to return to the investigative phase to fill in gaps contested by the defence.

Deputy prosecutor Alessandro Diddi made the surprise announcement at the first hearing since the trial started in July, saying: “I feel the duty to meet (the defence requests) halfway.”

Defence lawyers told the court Diddi’s request was unacceptable. Citing a raft of what they said were procedural errors, they asked court president Giuseppe Pignatone to annul the 500-page indictment of the 10 handed down July 3, which would effectively kill the current trial.

Pignatone, shown, adjourned the trial hours later and said he would announce his decisions Wednesday.

The prosecution has accused Cardinal Angelo Becciu and others involved in a deal to purchase a building in South Kensington, London, of embezzlement, abuse of office and fraud, among other charges.