A Rome judge has upheld the seizure of €23 million in Vatican
assets in a money-laundering probe involving the Holy See's bank.
Italian authorities seized the assets in September.
Monday's decision was the second time judicial authorities have upheld the confiscation of the funds.
Italian news reports quoted Judge Maria Teresa Covatta
as saying the intended beneficiaries of the transactions from a Vatican
Bank account at a Rome branch of an Italian bank were still unclear.
Prosecutors allege the Vatican bank deliberately
flouted laws cracking down on money laundering, and suspect clergy might
have been frontmen for corrupt businessmen and mobsters.
The Vatican has blamed the seizure on a "misunderstanding" and contends it can clear up the matter.
SIC: Bloomberg/INT'L