Inquiry phase of the trial now complete

In the late afternoon hours today, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ provided the following information to accredited journalists about the beginning of the final phase of the court case currently in session regarding the divulging of embargoed news and documents.

At 3:40pm today, the final phase of the proceedings currently in progress regarding the divulging of embargoed news and documents began in the Vatican City's Tribunal Hall.  Present for the hearing, in addition to the Judges (Professors Giuseppe Della Torre, Piero Antonio Bonnet, Paolo Papanti-Pellettier and Venerando Marano) and the Prosecutors (Professor Gian Piero Milano and Roberto Zannotti), all the accuseds: Lucio Ángel Vallejo Balda, Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, Nicola Maio, Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi were also in attendance.  All five lawyers: Emanuela Bellardini, Laura Sgrò, Rita Claudia Baffioni, Lucia Teresa Musso and Robert Palombi were also present.

Today's audience was entirely dedicated to the summation presented by the Prosecutors.  The conclusions illustrated by the two Prosecutors led to calls for the condemnation of the criminal conspiracy - limited to Vallejo, Balda, Caouqui and Maio - directed toward the revelation of news and documents pertaining to the fundamental interests of the State (Articles 248 and 116, 2 of the Penal Code), while the journalists were accused of complicity in the divulging of documents through the publication of the books: Avarice (Fittipaldi) and Via Crucis (Nuzzi).

The penalties requested were:

• For Monsignor Vallejo Balda, condemnation to three years and one month in prison;
• For Doctor Chaouqui, considered to be the inspiration and responsible for the contestable conduct, three years and nine months in prison;
• For Doctor Maio, considering the limited role he played in the affair, one year and nine months in prison;

For journalists, it was deemed important to differentiate the findings from the inquiry as opposed to those from the trial phase; both phases having concluded with a request for acquittal based on lack of evidence for Emiliano Fittipaldi and with a request for a one-year sentence to be suspended in favour of Gianluigi Nuzzi.

The audience concluded around 5:30pm.

Interventions on behalf of the defence of the accuseds will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, beginning at 9:30am and will continue on Wednesday afternoon beginning at 3:30pm.