Saturday, August 04, 2012

Carlo Fusco, Paolo Gabriele's lawyer
The Pope’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele, currently under home arrest on charges of aggravated theft of confidential documents from the Apostolic Palace, is “calm” and “prepared” for a potential trial because, he says, “I have told investigating magistrates everything,” Gabriele’s lawyer Carlo Fosco told Italian news agency ANSA
 
“Gabriele - the lawyer explained - has been very collaborative with investigators; he has said all he has to say, so if there is a trial there will be no shock revelations.”
 
Mr. Fusco also commented on Gabriele’s letter to the Pope: “It is not a request for a pardon in the hope of an act of clemency; - he pointed out - it is simply a piece of correspondence between two people who know each other well and who spent a great deal of time together, even though of course one of these two people is a such a special figure as the Pope.”
 
The formal conclusion of the preliminary investigation by investigating magistrate Piero Bonnet in which Gabriele – who is the only individual currently being investigated for the theft -  will either be committed for trial or acquitted is expected on 6 or 7 August.
 
This week, Pope Benedict XVI received the investigators in charge of the poison pen letter writer case (the leak of confidential documents belonging to the Pope) in his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo and encouraged them to proceed “with diligence.”