The Italian financial police have seized €2.5 million in assets from a banker suspected of using a Vatican body for money laundering between 2000 and 2011.
Gianpietro Nattino, head of the Italian investment bank Banca Finnat, was investigated for manipulating the market and impeding the policing of the Italian stock market. The assets placed under preventive escrow are in real estate, land and shares.
According to the Rome public prosecutor’s office, the banker was able to deposit funds either with the Holy See’s Administration (Apsa, which supervises real estate and investments) or the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR, better known as the Vatican Bank). Nattino’s alleged wrongdoing came to an end in March 2011 when the Vatican State adopted a legislative arsenal against money laundering, the statement added.
Following numerous scandals, Pope Benedict XVI and his successor Francis have succeeded in tightening anti-money laundering measures in the Vatican.