Roman Catholic Church: Money laundering in Vatican?

Geldwäsche im Vatikan?

Investigations against bank president

The Roman state attorney has put up investigations against the president of the Vatican-bank IOR for the suspicion of money laundering. A further high member of the bank is triggered by investigators besides bank president Tedeschi how the Italian daily paper "Corriere della Serra" reported. The Italian financial police confiscated 23 mio € on an IOR account deposited at another Italian bank.


The center of investigations is according to media reports a money transfer to Germany. Starting point was a transaction of 20 mio Euros thru IOR to JP Morgan in Frankfurt-Main. According to news agancy ANSA Gotti Tedeschi and the other manager are bein suspected of having been silent about the real orderers of the transaction. The Vatican expressed its "surprise."

It isnt the first investigation of such kind against the bank of the pope. The bank was in the headlines in the past again and again for non-transparent deals. According to former media reports the investigators suspected certain Italian tax-payers to use the "institute for religious works" as cover for tax fraud and embezzlement. 1 year ago media reported about similiar investigations in connection with unicredit.

According to "repubblica" investigators discerned years ago that IOR administered several accounts at several other banks and it pumped 180 mio € thru these accounts.

The last big scandal concerned the bank in 82. IOR was involved in the fraudulent bankruptcy of Banco Ambrosiano.