Journalist at Vatileaks trial says Chaouqui was 'unreliable' personality
April 14, 2016
An Italian journalist who wrote a book based on leaked Church documents told a Vatican tribunal that he considered Francesca Chaouqui, a co-defendant in the "Vatileaks II" trial, "unreliable" and likely to cause trouble.
Gianluigi Nuzzi, who faces charges for taking secret documents from the Vatican, said that he was given access to the documents by Msgr. Angel Vallejo Balda. Nuzzi said that Chaouqui, a Vatican consultant who is also charged with the leaks, had arranged a meeting for him with the monsignor, but had not been directly involved in handing over confidential documents.
Msgr. Vallejo Balda has admitted that he gave secret documents to journalists, but said that he was pressured to do so by Chaouqui, who threatened to destroy him if he did not cooperate. Nuzzi, in his testimony at the Vatican trial on April 13, partially supported that claim. He said that Msgr. Vallejo Balda had told him about Chaouqui's threats. Nuzzi replied, in an internet message, "She is obviously bipolar." Questioned by the tribunal as to what he meant by that message, Nuzzi said that he considered Chaouqui unreliable.
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Further information:
- ‘VatiLeaks’ trial: Author saw duty to publish private documents (CNS)
- Vatileaks trial: questioning of defendants concluded, witnesses next (CWN, 4/14)
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