Press release

 

Trial of Franciscans: the three friars acquitted

Milan, 17 May 2019 - The General Curia, a body belonging to the Order of Franciscan Friars Minor (OFM), takes note of the decision issued today 17.05.2019 by the Criminal Court of Milan, whereby the trial judge acquitted the three defendants Friar Giancarlo Lati, former treasurer of the General Curia of the Order of Friars Minor, Friar Renato Beretta, former treasurer of the Saint Charles Borromeo Province of Lombardy of the Friars Minor and Friar Clemente Moriggi, former treasurer of the Conference of provincial ministers of the Friars Minor of Italy. The three friars were accused of complicity with each other in the crime of aggravated embezzlement in connection with a serious loss of funds, amounting to several million euros, that were transferred to a fraudulent financial broker. Internal investigations following the establishment of new governing bodies led to the discovery of the disputed irregularities — which concern the assets of the bodies — and culminated in complaints being submitted to the investigating Authorities from December 2014. The three bodies were constituted civil parties in the trial against the three former treasurers that began last September following consideration by the Milan magistrate. The text of the finding read today in the courtroom explicitly states that the decision is determined by the statute of limitations of the crimes accrued over time from the allegations by the Public Prosecutor since May 2011. The General Curia reserves the right to make its own assessment following a study of the rationale behind the finding. Press Contacts: Luca Vitale e Associati Luca Vitale, +39.335.6010843, l.vitale@lucavitaleassociati.it