Pope’s role in Vatican London building deal arises in court

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Defense lawyers in the Vatican’s fraud and extortion trial have accused prosecutors of again withholding pieces of evidence, including an alleged interrogation of Pope Francis. The allegation brought the pontiff’s own role in a flawed London property investment back before a Vatican city-state tribunal. The court’s president said he would rule Dec. 1 on the latest defense request to throw out the indictment. The court has already nullified several of the charges because of prosecutorial errors and told the prosecutors to start over. Vatican prosecutors have accused Italian brokers and Vatican officials of defrauding the Holy See and of extorting the Vatican of 15 million euros to acquire control of the London property.