Public attention has turned to the Vatican yet again following the money laundering claims. An auditor who was previously employed by the church accused top officials of using a “skeleton key” for money laundering. The auditor shared how the key allegedly allowed officials to carry out unlawful transactions by flying under the radar.
This isn’t the first time money laundering scheme claims have plagued the Vatican. An auditor who was fired in 2017 has come forward to reveal the elaborate scheme that has allowed officials to carry out unlawful transactions for years now.
Something called a “skeleton key” is to blame for the alleged money laundering. The key reportedly changes the names and account numbers related to transactions after it has been carried out. This would make it impossible to trace down bank accounts carrying out illegal transactions.
The key manages to mask the identity of both the sender and receiver. If the claim is true, it would mean that officials were able to send money to private clients, leaving numerous unlawful transactions in lieu.
Libero Milone, an auditor with Deloitte, is the one making these claims. Milone was employed by the Vatican from 2015 to 2017. The auditor was hired to manage the Vatican’s finances in order after the long-term neglect.
Top Vatican financial auditor Libero Milone says Pope Francis was “overwhelmed” when he was presented with evidence of cardinals and archbishops taking money from dicasteries and putting it “into their own pockets.” Full interview on the EWTN Youtube channel. pic.twitter.com/FZnbRXYGEl
— Colm Flynn (@colmflynnire) July 6, 2024
He was appointed by the late Pope Francis but forced to resign just two years later. Milone was accused of being a spy by senior officials, prompting him to resign from the role. During the time of his employment, the auditor exposed the widespread financial corruption rooted in the Vatican.
Milone stayed adamant on the claim that he was let go because he found proof of financial misconduct, which was directly linked to former cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu. Notably, Becciu was found guilty and convicted of embezzlement and fraud.
Cardinal Giovanni Becciu, Deputy Emeritus of the Secretariat of State, suspended an external audit of the Vatican’s finances upon learning that the auditor-general, Libero Milone, had begun to uncover potentially incriminating fiscal irregularities.
Pope Francis promoted him. pic.twitter.com/4Imtu8iDGZ
— Radical Catholic (@RadicalCath) September 10, 2018
A previous report claimed that Milone possessed explosive information that he was debating whether he should reveal to support his claims. The auditor allegedly discovered several things surrounding the finances of the Vatican while he was employed there. According to The Pillar, “the Vatican would likely end up on an international financial black list of the darkest kind, frozen out of the international banking system” if Milone’s claim about the “skeleton key” were true.
The report also added that if the worst-case scenario does come true, the Vatican would have to solely rely on physical cash because “no money could come in.” Milone addressed the claims made in the publication in a recent press conference. “I have a piece of paper which says that they can change the transactions — they can change the name — at any time,” he said in a conversation with Politico. He went on to add how he doesn’t intend to “blackmail” anybody.
